Remove Double Spaces in Word and Fix Double Line Spacing

To remove repeated spaces between words in Microsoft Word, open Home > Replace, enter two spaces in Find what and one space in Replace with, then choose Replace All. Run it again until Word reports no more matches. If by “double space” you mean extra vertical space between lines, select the affected text and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 1.0 instead. These are different problems, so identify which one you have before changing the document.

What You’ll Need

Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, or the Word desktop app on Mac. The menu labels are similar, but the keyboard shortcuts differ.
A saved copy of the document, especially if you plan to replace spaces throughout a long file. Find and Replace can change every matching instance at once.
Optional: a few minutes to check the affected pages after replacing spaces or changing line spacing. The appearance of a document can change when its spacing is adjusted.

Step-by-Step

Remove two or more spaces between words

Save a copy first. Use File > Save As and give the copy a different name if you want a simple way to restore the original. You can also use Undo immediately after a replacement, but a separate copy is safer for a document with important formatting.
Open Find and Replace. In Word for Windows, go to Home > Replace, in the Editing group at the right of the ribbon. You can also press Ctrl+H. On a Mac, use Edit > Find > Replace; the menu route avoids relying on a shortcut that may differ by keyboard settings or Word version.
Enter the exact text to search for. Click in Find what and press the spacebar twice. The field will look empty, so use the cursor or press the keys carefully. Click Replace with and press the spacebar once. Do not type a visible character or punctuation mark in either field.
Try one match before changing the whole document. Choose Find Next, then Replace, if those buttons are available in your Find and Replace window. Check that the gap between the intended words has become a normal single space. This is a useful safety check when a document has columns of text, pasted tables, or carefully aligned material.
Replace the remaining matches. If the preview looks right, choose Replace All. Word will report how many replacements it made. Read the count: zero can mean there were no pairs of consecutive spaces, or that the search field did not contain two spaces as intended.
Repeat the replacement. A sequence of three spaces can become two after the first pass, and a longer sequence may still have pairs left. Choose Replace All again until Word reports zero replacements. This repeated pass is important; one pass does not always reduce every run of spaces to one.
Review the document. Close the Find and Replace pane or dialog, then skim the affected paragraphs. Check headings, tables, addresses, lists, and any text that was intentionally spaced for alignment. If you see an unwanted change immediately, use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac to undo it, then narrow the search or restore your saved copy.

This method removes consecutive ordinary spaces, not every kind of blank area. A tab, a paragraph break, a nonbreaking space, or paragraph formatting can look like a wide gap but will not necessarily match two ordinary spaces. If the gap remains after repeated replacements, use the troubleshooting section below to identify what is creating it.

Change double line spacing to single spacing

Select the text you want to change. Drag over a paragraph or section to adjust only that part. To select the whole document, click in the document and press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac. If the document contains a title page or a section that should stay double-spaced, select only the body text instead.
Set line spacing to 1.0. On Windows, open the Home tab, select Line and Paragraph Spacing in the Paragraph group, and choose 1.0. On Mac, use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 1.0 if the control is shown, or open Format > Paragraph and set Line spacing to Single.
Check paragraph spacing separately. Extra space between paragraphs is not the same as double line spacing. If gaps remain, open the Paragraph settings. On Windows, select the small dialog launcher at the lower-right of the Paragraph group on the Home tab. On Mac, choose Format > Paragraph. Under Spacing, inspect Before and After. Set them to 0 pt only if you want no extra paragraph spacing; many layouts intentionally use space after paragraphs.
Inspect the result in the full document. Check page breaks, headings, lists, and page count. Changing line spacing can pull text onto earlier pages. If that affects a required format, undo the change and apply the appropriate spacing only to the selected paragraphs.

Common Mistakes

Confusing spaces between words with line spacing. Two spaces typed between words create a horizontal gap. Double line spacing increases the vertical distance between baselines. Replacing spaces will not change line spacing, and selecting 1.0 will not remove repeated spaces.
Running Replace All only once. A run of three or more spaces can remain as a pair after one replacement. Repeat the same two-spaces-to-one operation until there are no matches.
Searching for one space instead of two. The Find field can look blank either way. A one-space search can match between ordinary words and lead to unintended replacements. Count the key presses before selecting Replace All.
Changing the entire document when only one section needs attention. A global replacement or selection can alter a contents page, a table, or a deliberately formatted section. Select a limited range when appropriate, or review the replacement count and resulting pages.
Assuming paragraph gaps are line spacing. Space Before or After in paragraph settings may make paragraphs look widely separated even when line spacing is Single. Check both settings instead of repeatedly changing the line-spacing control.
Using spaces to align text. Replacing repeated spaces can disturb columns that were manually lined up with the spacebar. Use a table, tab stops, or paragraph alignment for stable layout rather than strings of spaces.

Tips

Turn on formatting marks to see what is there. On Windows, choose Home > Show/Hide ¶ or press Ctrl+Shift+8. On Mac, choose Home > Show/Hide ¶; the equivalent shortcut is usually Command+8. Ordinary spaces appear as small dots, paragraph marks as ¶, and tabs as arrows. These marks are not printed.
Use Find Next when the content is sensitive. Replacing one match at a time lets you confirm that the extra gap is accidental. This takes longer, but it is a better choice for legal, academic, or highly formatted documents where each change should be reviewed.
Use the Navigation or Replace pane to check the scope. If text is selected before opening Find and Replace, Word may limit the search to that selection, depending on the window and version. Clear the selection or check the search scope if the replacement count is unexpectedly small.
Preserve intentional paragraph spacing. Setting line spacing to 1.0 does not require removing space after paragraphs. A document can use single-spaced lines with a modest gap between paragraphs, which often improves readability.
Make changes in stages. First fix repeated spaces, review the text, and then adjust line or paragraph spacing if needed. Separating these actions makes it easier to see which change affected the layout and to undo only the problematic one.

Troubleshooting

Replace All says zero replacements. Click in Find what and make sure it contains two ordinary spaces, not one. If the visible gap is still present, turn on formatting marks. It may be a tab, a paragraph mark, a nonbreaking space, or formatting rather than a pair of spaces.
Some repeated spaces remain. Run the exact same replacement again. Longer sequences can need more than one pass. If the remaining gap is caused by a tab, replace or remove the tab only after checking that it is not being used to position text.
The space between words disappeared. The search text may have contained one space rather than two, or the replacement field may have been empty. Undo at once with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac. Reopen Replace and verify the fields before trying again.
Text still looks double-spaced after choosing 1.0. Confirm that the correct paragraphs were selected and that the setting took effect. Then inspect the Paragraph dialog for Before and After spacing, and check whether a style or section-specific formatting is applying different settings. Select the affected paragraphs and set their paragraph options directly.
The page layout changed more than expected. Undo the line-spacing change, then select only the paragraphs that should be single-spaced. Review paragraph spacing and page breaks as separate settings. For a document with multiple sections, avoid using Ctrl+A or Command+A until you know every section should receive the same formatting.
The ribbon button is hard to find. Make the Word window wider or use the search box at the top of the app to look for Replace or Line and Paragraph Spacing. Menu wording and ribbon layout can vary slightly by platform and update, but the Home tab and Format > Paragraph options provide the relevant controls in desktop Word.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Word remove every double space automatically?

Word does not necessarily remove repeated spaces as you type by default. Use Find and Replace to clean existing text. If you are editing a long document, repeat the two-spaces-to-one replacement until it reports no remaining matches, then review the result.

Does Replace All remove double line spacing?

No. Find and Replace changes characters in the text; it does not adjust paragraph formatting. To reduce vertical line spacing, select the relevant paragraphs and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 1.0, or set Line spacing to Single in the Paragraph dialog.

How can I tell whether the gap is a space or a tab?

Turn on Show/Hide ¶ from the Home tab. A normal space appears as a dot and a tab appears as an arrow. If the gap is a tab, searching for two spaces will not find it. Be cautious about replacing tabs because they may be used to align text.

Can I remove double spaces in only part of a document?

Yes. Select the section before opening Find and Replace, then check whether Word is searching within the selection. Alternatively, use Find Next and Replace for the specific passages you want to change. Always confirm the replacement count and inspect the section afterward.

Why does my document still have gaps between paragraphs after setting 1.0?

Line spacing controls the distance between lines within a paragraph. Paragraph Before and After settings add space around paragraphs independently. Open the Paragraph settings and adjust those values if you want smaller gaps; keep them if the layout intentionally separates paragraphs.

Will removing repeated spaces change my printed document?

It can, because spaces affect horizontal positioning and line wrapping. Ordinary text usually reflows with a single space, but manual spacing in tables, forms, or aligned blocks may shift. Save a copy and inspect those areas before printing or sharing the edited file.

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