How to Double Space in Word, Step by Step

To double-space text in Microsoft Word, select it and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. To apply double spacing to the main text of a whole document, select the document first with Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose 2.0. The steps below walk through the ribbon, keyboard shortcuts, default settings, and common fixes.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word. These instructions are for Word in Microsoft 365 on Windows; Mac and Word for the web differences are noted where they matter.
Text to format. You can select a paragraph, several paragraphs, or the main body of the document. Save your document before making broad formatting changes.

Step-by-Step

Decide what should be double-spaced. If only one section needs extra room, select that text with the mouse or keyboard. To select a whole document on Windows, click in the document body and press Ctrl+A. On Mac, press Command+A. In a document with multiple sections, check that the selection covers the area you intend to change. A selection made in the main document may not include text in headers, footers, or separate text boxes; those areas can be formatted separately.
Open the line-spacing menu. Go to the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, select Line and Paragraph Spacing. The button usually looks like horizontal lines with up and down arrows. If the Word window is narrow, the ribbon may collapse the group or display a smaller button, so maximize the window or expand the Paragraph controls if you cannot see it.
Choose 2.0. In the menu, select 2.0. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs immediately. If no text was selected, Word changes the paragraph containing the insertion point; it does not necessarily reformat the entire document. Look at several lines in the changed section to confirm the spacing has taken effect.
Use the shortcut for a quick change. Select the relevant text, then press Ctrl+2 on Windows. In Word for Mac, use Command+2. This applies double line spacing without opening the ribbon menu. The shortcut works on the selected paragraphs, so select the full area first if you want the change applied throughout the document. To return the selected text to single spacing, use Ctrl+1 on Windows or Command+1 on Mac.
Set spacing through the Paragraph dialog if you need more control. On Windows, open Home, then select the small dialog box launcher at the lower-right corner of the Paragraph group. Under Spacing, open the Line spacing list and choose Double, then select OK. On Mac, select the text, then use Format > Paragraph and set Line spacing to Double. This dialog is useful when you also need to inspect paragraph spacing before or after each paragraph.
Apply it to the whole document when you are finished editing. Select the document body with Ctrl+A or Command+A, then apply 2.0 from the Home tab. Read through the document afterward: a selection can include headings, lists, or other paragraphs that you might prefer to format differently. If only the body text should be double-spaced, select that text rather than changing every element indiscriminately.
Make double spacing the default for new documents, if appropriate. In Word for Windows, open the Paragraph dialog from Home > Paragraph, set Line spacing to Double, and choose Set As Default. Word asks whether to apply the choice to this document only or to all documents based on the Normal template. Choose the template option only if you want future documents based on that template to start with double spacing. This changes a default, not the spacing in every existing file. The control can differ by Word version on Mac; use Format > Paragraph to set spacing for the current document, or adjust the document template if you need a recurring default.
Check Word for the web if you are working in a browser. Select the paragraphs, open Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0 if that control is available in your ribbon. The browser layout can vary with window size. If you cannot find the control, open the document in the desktop app and use the steps above. Confirm that your edits have synced before closing the browser tab.

If you are following a video tutorial, pause after selecting the text and compare the highlighted area with the area you want to format. The menu labels are more reliable than the button’s appearance, which can vary slightly with ribbon size and Word updates.

Common Mistakes

Changing only the current paragraph. Clicking in a paragraph and choosing 2.0 may affect just that paragraph. If you meant to format everything, select the full document body first, then apply the setting.
Adding blank lines instead of changing line spacing. Pressing Enter repeatedly creates new paragraphs and can leave uneven gaps when the text is edited or reflowed. Use the 2.0 line-spacing setting instead; it keeps the lines within each paragraph evenly spaced.
Confusing line spacing with space after a paragraph. Line spacing controls the distance between lines in the same paragraph. Paragraph spacing controls the gap before or after separate paragraphs. Setting both to large values can make the page look much more spread out than expected.
Assuming the whole file changed. Headers, footers, text boxes, footnotes, and some other separate areas may not follow a main-body selection. Check those areas individually if they also need double spacing.
Applying a shortcut without selecting the intended text. Ctrl+2 or Command+2 changes the paragraph at the cursor if there is no selection. Select the target area first to avoid an incomplete result.

Tips

Use the selection that matches the assignment. If instructions say to double-space the essay, that may mean the body as well as headings, but requirements differ. Check whether the title, block quotations, footnotes, and reference list have separate rules before applying one setting to every part.
Use the Paragraph dialog to diagnose extra gaps. If lines look too far apart even after choosing 2.0, inspect the Before and After paragraph spacing values. Those settings add space around paragraphs on top of the line spacing.
Format long documents with styles. If your document uses styles such as Normal or Body Text, changing the relevant style can keep paragraphs consistent. In the Styles area on the Home tab, right-click the style, choose Modify, then use the formatting options to set paragraph line spacing. Check the document afterward because direct formatting may override a style.
Keep a copy before changing a complex file. If the document includes tables, citations, or carefully formatted sections, use File > Save As to create a copy first. That gives you a clean version to return to if a broad selection changes more than you intended.
Remember that double spacing is not a fixed number of points. It is based on the line height and font settings, so the visible gap can differ between fonts and sizes. For a specified academic format, follow the instructions rather than trying to create the same appearance with repeated blank lines.

Troubleshooting

The text still looks single-spaced. Confirm the paragraphs are selected, then choose 2.0 again. If you used the keyboard shortcut, click in the text and open Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing to check the current setting. A style or direct formatting applied to only part of the selection can make the document look inconsistent; select the affected paragraphs and reapply the setting.

The spaces between paragraphs are still large. Double line spacing does not remove paragraph-after spacing. Select the affected paragraphs, open the Paragraph dialog, and check the Before and After values under Spacing. Set them to the values required by your document instructions. Avoid changing these values blindly if the document has a required style or layout.

Only some pages changed. Check whether you selected all the intended text and whether the document contains section breaks or separate text areas. Click in an unchanged paragraph and inspect its spacing menu. If the document uses different styles, the unchanged text may have a separate style or formatting override. Apply 2.0 to the specific paragraphs or adjust the appropriate style.

The shortcut does something unexpected. Make sure Word is the active app and that you are using the correct key for your computer: Ctrl+2 on Windows and Command+2 on Mac. If a shortcut is unavailable because of your keyboard, language, or app configuration, use the ribbon menu instead. The menu provides the same 2.0 choice without relying on a shortcut.

The ribbon command is missing. Expand the Word window or ribbon, then look in the Home tab’s Paragraph group. If you are using Word in a browser, the available controls may be arranged differently; use the desktop app if the line-spacing menu is not shown. If you are viewing a file in read-only mode, switch to editing before trying to change formatting.

The document changed after reopening it. Make sure you saved the file after formatting. In Word for the web, check that changes have finished syncing. If the spacing changes again when you type, the paragraph may use a style with different spacing; modify that style or reapply the setting to the new paragraphs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I double-space an entire Word document?
Select the document body with Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Check headings, footnotes, headers, and text boxes separately if they must follow the same rule.

What is the keyboard shortcut for double spacing in Word?
Use Ctrl+2 in Word for Windows or Command+2 in Word for Mac. Select the text first to apply it to more than the paragraph containing the cursor.

How do I double-space only one paragraph?
Click anywhere in that paragraph and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0, or use the appropriate shortcut. You do not need to highlight the whole paragraph when changing its paragraph formatting.

Does double spacing add a blank line after every line?
No. It increases the distance between lines within a paragraph. It does not insert empty paragraphs, and it is different from the extra space that can appear before or after a paragraph.

Can I make double spacing the default in Word?
In Word for Windows, set Double in the Paragraph dialog and choose Set As Default. You can apply the change only to the current document or to future documents based on the Normal template. Existing documents are not automatically reformatted by changing the default.

Why does double spacing look different in my document?
Font, font size, paragraph spacing, and styles all affect the page’s appearance. The Double setting controls line spacing, while Before and After settings control paragraph gaps. Check both when the result looks too loose or uneven.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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