How to Double Space in Microsoft Word on Any Device

To double-space text in Microsoft Word, select the text, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. To double-space the whole document, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac first, then apply the same setting. Double spacing adds more vertical room between lines, which can make a document easier to read, mark up, or prepare for an assignment. You can do this in Word for Windows, Mac, or the web; the labels may vary slightly with your version.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word for Windows, Word for Mac, or Word for the web.
Permission to edit the document. If it opens in read-only or viewing mode, switch to editing or make an editable copy first.
Optional: any formatting instructions that specify whether the document should have double line spacing only, or also require particular paragraph spacing, font, and margins.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what to change. If just a passage needs double spacing, locate that passage. If every paragraph in the document should be double-spaced, plan to select the document text. The line-spacing setting applies to paragraphs, so selecting even part of a paragraph will normally apply the paragraph’s spacing to the whole paragraph.
Select the text. Drag across the paragraphs you want to format. To select the main document text on Windows, click in the document body and press Ctrl+A. On Mac, click in the document body and press Command+A. If you have clicked inside a table cell, header, footer, or text box, the selection may be limited to that area; click in the main body before selecting all. Check that the highlighted text covers the intended section.
Open the line-spacing menu. On Word for Windows, go to the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select Line and Paragraph Spacing. The button usually shows horizontal lines with up-and-down arrows. On Word for Mac, go to Home and choose Line and Paragraph Spacing in the Paragraph group. In Word for the web, use the Home tab and open the same spacing menu. If the ribbon is narrow, the button may be inside a collapsed or overflowed Paragraph group.
Choose 2.0. Select 2.0 in the menu. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs. The menu may display options such as 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0; choose 2.0 rather than 1.5 or 3.0. If you did not select text, the setting applies to the paragraph containing the insertion point and may affect new text in that paragraph.
Check the result from top to bottom. Look at several paragraphs, including any headings or lists that should be included. If you selected the whole document, scroll through it to confirm that the change reached the sections you intended. Line spacing changes the distance between lines within a paragraph; it does not necessarily remove or add the separate space between paragraphs.
Adjust paragraph spacing only if required. If your instructions require double spacing with no extra gap between paragraphs, open the Paragraph settings. In Word for Windows, select the small dialog-box launcher at the lower-right of the Paragraph group on the Home tab, then find Spacing and set Before and After to the values your instructions specify, often 0 pt. Set Line spacing to Double if you use this dialog. In Word for Mac, use Format > Paragraph to find the corresponding controls. Word for the web may offer fewer detailed paragraph controls; use the desktop app if you need settings that are not available in the web ribbon.
Save the document. Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. Word for the web usually saves changes automatically, but wait for its save indicator before closing the tab. If you are working with a shared file, confirm that you are editing the right copy.

Quick keyboard option: In Word for Windows, select the paragraphs and press Ctrl+2 to apply double spacing. In Word for Mac, select the paragraphs and press Command+2. These shortcuts set line spacing; they do not necessarily change the separate before-and-after paragraph spacing. If a shortcut does not work on your device, use the ribbon menu instead.

Common Mistakes

Choosing 1.5 instead of 2.0: The spacing menu lists several similar options. Double-check that you selected 2.0, especially if the lines still look relatively close together.

Changing only the current paragraph: Clicking in one paragraph without selecting the rest usually changes only that paragraph. Select the required range first. For a document-wide change, click in the main body and use the select-all shortcut, then check the selection before applying the setting.

Confusing line spacing with paragraph spacing: Line spacing controls the distance between lines within a paragraph. Paragraph spacing adds space before or after separate paragraphs. A document can have double-spaced lines and still show a larger gap after each paragraph. Follow the assignment or style instructions for both settings instead of assuming one controls the other.

Expecting every document area to change: A main-body selection may not include text in headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, or text boxes. Those areas may need to be selected and formatted separately. Also, a table or text box can have its own paragraphs and settings.

Applying double spacing to the whole document when only a passage needs it: Selecting all can alter headings, captions, references, and other elements that have different formatting. If a template has carefully formatted sections, select only the text that needs the change or verify the result in each section.

Tips

Use the visual menu when you are unsure. The 2.0 option is easy to verify and avoids relying on a shortcut that may be intercepted by your device or another app.
Keep the selection precise. To format a few paragraphs, drag from the start of the first paragraph to the end of the last. If the selection crosses a heading or list that should stay single-spaced, format the sections separately.
Check paragraph settings against the brief. Many school and workplace requirements ask for double line spacing, but may also specify zero spacing after paragraphs. Others allow a gap between paragraphs. Do not change Before or After values unless you know what is required.
Use Undo if the wrong text changes. Press Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac soon after the change, then select the correct text and try again. Undo may also reverse other recent edits, so check the document afterward.
Consider styles for repeatable formatting. If you are preparing a long document, changing the paragraph style can make spacing consistent across paragraphs that use that style. Select a representative paragraph, open the style options on the Home tab, and modify the style only if you intend the change to apply wherever that style is used.
Review page breaks after changing spacing. Double spacing makes documents longer and can move headings, tables, or references to later pages. Check that headings are not stranded at the bottom of a page and that page numbering still makes sense.

Troubleshooting

The lines still look single-spaced. Select the affected paragraphs again and choose 2.0 from the Home tab’s Line and Paragraph Spacing menu. Confirm that the text is selected rather than just placing the cursor in another paragraph. If the menu shows a different option as selected, apply 2.0 once more. Also check that you are viewing the document in Print Layout or another view where line spacing is easy to judge.

There is too much space between paragraphs. The text may be double-spaced and also have paragraph spacing after each paragraph. Open the Paragraph dialog and inspect the Before and After values. If the instructions call for no extra paragraph gap, set those values to 0 pt, while leaving line spacing set to Double. Do not remove paragraph spacing automatically if the document’s required style calls for it.

Only part of the document changed. The selection may have ended early, or some content may be in a separate text area. Use Ctrl+A or Command+A from the main document body and look at the highlighted region. Format headers, footers, notes, and text boxes separately when necessary. If a section uses a different style, selecting and applying spacing to its paragraphs can override that local setting.

The ribbon button is missing or unavailable. Maximize the Word window, expand the ribbon, or look for a collapsed Paragraph group. In Word for the web, make sure the file is open in editing mode rather than viewing mode. If the command still is not available, try opening the document in the desktop version of Word, where the full Paragraph dialog provides more controls.

The shortcut types a character or does something else. Click in the document body, select the target paragraphs, and use the ribbon instead. Keyboard mappings can differ with the operating system, keyboard layout, or customized shortcuts. On Windows, the standard double-spacing shortcut is Ctrl+2; on Mac it is Command+2. The menu command is the reliable alternative when a shortcut conflicts with another setting.

The spacing changes when you start a new paragraph. A paragraph’s style can determine the formatting of the next paragraph. Check whether the new paragraph uses a different style, such as Normal or a heading style. Apply 2.0 to the new paragraph, or adjust the relevant style if all paragraphs using it should have the same spacing. If the document is based on a template, the template’s styles may control the default for new content.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I double-space an entire Word document?
Click in the main document body, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Review headers, footers, notes, and text boxes separately because they may not be included in the body selection.

How do I double-space just one paragraph?
Click in the paragraph or select its text, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. You do not have to highlight every character if the cursor is already in the paragraph, but selecting it makes it clearer which paragraph you are changing.

What is the keyboard shortcut for double spacing?
Use Ctrl+2 on Word for Windows or Command+2 on Word for Mac. Select the paragraphs first if you want to change more than the paragraph containing the cursor. If the shortcut is unavailable or behaves differently, choose 2.0 from the spacing menu.

Does double spacing mean there should be a blank line between paragraphs?
No. Double line spacing increases the distance between lines inside each paragraph. A blank-looking gap between paragraphs can come from the separate Before or After paragraph-spacing settings. Set those values according to your formatting requirements.

Can I double-space in Word for the web?
Yes. Select the text, open the Home tab, choose Line and Paragraph Spacing, and select 2.0. If you need detailed Before and After settings that the web version does not show, open the document in Word for Windows or Mac and use the Paragraph dialog.

How do I make double spacing the default for new documents?
Change the paragraph style used for new documents, usually Normal, and save that change to the template if Word offers that option. The exact style and template controls vary by platform and document setup. For a one-time document, it is safer to apply 2.0 to the text you need rather than changing a template that could affect future files.

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