How to Double Space in Word: Steps, Tips, and Fixes

To double-space text in Word, select the text—or press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac to select the document—then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. This sets the selected paragraphs to double line spacing. You can also use Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac. Before changing the whole document, decide whether you want the setting applied to everything or only a particular section.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word. These instructions use the Microsoft 365 desktop app on Windows; the Mac equivalent is included where it differs.
A keyboard and mouse or trackpad. You can use the ribbon or the keyboard shortcut.
If only part of the document should be double-spaced, know which text to select before you apply the setting.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and choose what to change. Open the file in Word and click in the document body. To double-space the entire document, use Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac. If you only want a section, drag across its paragraphs or click at the beginning, hold Shift, and click at the end. Check the selection carefully: applying formatting to a selection changes only that text, while unselected paragraphs keep their existing spacing. If the document contains text in headers, footers, or text boxes, those areas may need to be selected and formatted separately.
Go to the Home tab. On the ribbon, select Home. Find the Paragraph group, which contains alignment, bullets, indentation, and spacing controls. If the ribbon is collapsed or the Word window is narrow, expand the ribbon or maximize the window so the controls are visible. On Word for Mac, use the Home tab as well; the ribbon layout can look slightly different, but the line-spacing control is in the Paragraph area.
Open the line-spacing menu. Select Line and Paragraph Spacing. The button usually shows horizontal lines with vertical arrows beside them. A menu opens with spacing choices such as 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0. If you do not see the button, widen the Word window or look in the Paragraph group for a small spacing icon. Do not use the paragraph alignment buttons; they change how text sits between the margins, not the vertical space between lines.
Choose 2.0. Click 2.0 in the menu. Word applies double line spacing to the selected paragraphs immediately. The text should now have noticeably more vertical room between its lines. If you selected only one paragraph, only that paragraph changes. If you selected all document text, the body text changes throughout the selection. The 2.0 setting means Word uses double line spacing; it does not mean that Word inserts a blank line after every line.
Use the shortcut if you prefer the keyboard. With the text selected, press Ctrl+2 on Windows to set double spacing. On Mac, press Command+2. The shortcut applies the setting to the current paragraph if no text is selected, or to the selected paragraphs if you have highlighted text. To switch back to single spacing, use Ctrl+1 on Windows or Command+1 on Mac. Ctrl+5 or Command+5 applies 1.5 spacing.
Check the result and paragraph gaps. Scroll through the document and look for sections that did not change, especially headings, lists, tables, footnotes, or content in text boxes. Double spacing controls the distance between lines within paragraphs. Word may also add separate space before or after each paragraph, so the document can look more widely spaced than expected. If paragraphs have large gaps, select them and adjust paragraph spacing separately rather than changing the line-spacing setting again.
Save the document. Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. If you need to preserve the original formatting, use File > Save As to create a separate copy before making broad changes. This is useful when a teacher, editor, or workplace template requires a particular spacing style and you may need to restore the earlier layout.

Common Mistakes

Changing only the paragraph where the cursor sits. If you click inside one paragraph and choose 2.0 without selecting other text, Word generally applies the setting to that paragraph, not the entire file. Select all the intended text first. For a whole-document change, click in the body and use Ctrl+A or Command+A, then confirm that the selection includes the content you want to reformat.

Confusing line spacing with space between paragraphs. Line spacing sets the distance between lines in the same paragraph. Paragraph spacing adds room before or after a paragraph. If each paragraph looks separated by a large blank area, the document may have both double line spacing and extra paragraph-after spacing. Avoid pressing Enter repeatedly to create visual gaps; that adds empty paragraphs and can make later edits awkward.

Using the wrong spacing value. The 1.5 option is not double spacing, and choosing a value such as 2.5 creates more space than most double-spaced assignments require. Select 2.0 for double line spacing. If a style guide gives a different instruction, follow that requirement rather than assuming that all documents should use the same setting.

Expecting every object to follow the same rule. Tables, footnotes, text boxes, headers, and footers can have their own paragraph formatting or selection behavior. Formatting the main body may not update those areas. Check them individually if the document must be consistently spaced from beginning to end.

Tips

Apply spacing before you fine-tune page breaks. Double spacing increases the document’s length, so paragraphs and headings may move onto new pages. Set the spacing first, then review page breaks, page numbers, and any sections that should begin on a new page. This helps prevent repeated layout adjustments.

Use the Paragraph dialog for precise control. Select the relevant text, then open the Paragraph dialog from the small launcher at the lower-right of the Paragraph group on the Home tab. In the Indents and Spacing tab, set Line spacing to Double and select OK. On Word for Mac, you can open Format > Paragraph and choose Double from the Line spacing menu. The dialog is useful when you want to confirm the exact setting instead of relying only on the ribbon menu.

Set double spacing for new documents when appropriate. If you regularly start documents that must be double-spaced, open the Paragraph dialog, choose Double, then select Set As Default. Word asks whether to apply the change to the current document only or to documents based on the Normal template. Choose the template option only if you want new documents using that template to start with double spacing. This changes a default, so consider whether it is suitable for your other work.

Keep headings and lists readable. Double-spacing every paragraph may affect headings, numbered steps, and bullet lists. Some assignments require the entire document to be double-spaced, including those elements; others specify double spacing only for the main text. Check the instructions first. If a heading should retain different spacing, select and format it separately after changing the body text.

Use the status and layout as a visual check, not a measurement. Double spacing makes a page longer, but page count alone does not prove the setting is correct. Font size, margins, paragraph gaps, and text length also affect pagination. For certainty, open the Paragraph dialog for a representative paragraph and confirm that Line spacing is set to Double.

Troubleshooting

The document still looks single-spaced. Confirm that the correct text was selected and that you chose 2.0 rather than 1.0. Click inside a paragraph that looks wrong and open the Paragraph dialog to inspect its Line spacing value. If it is not Double, select the affected paragraphs and apply the setting again. A paragraph style may also be controlling its formatting, so check the style assigned to that text.

Some paragraphs changed but others did not. The selection may not have covered the full document, or certain content may live in a separate area. Repeat the selection from the document body, then inspect headings, tables, footnotes, headers, and text boxes individually. If a section is protected or part of a form, Word may restrict editing; check whether editing restrictions are enabled before trying to change its formatting.

There are huge gaps between paragraphs. The line-spacing setting may be correct, with extra spacing added before or after paragraphs. Select the affected text, open the Paragraph dialog, and review the Before and After spacing fields under Indents and Spacing. Set those fields to the values required by your document instructions. For a compact double-spaced layout, they are often set to zero, but do not remove required paragraph spacing without checking the specification.

The shortcut does something unexpected. Make sure Word is active and the insertion point is in the document rather than a search box, comment, or other control. On Windows, use Ctrl+2; on Mac, use Command+2. If the shortcut is unavailable because of a keyboard layout or custom shortcut setting, use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0 instead. The ribbon menu is a reliable alternative and shows the selected spacing option.

The layout changes after saving or reopening. Check whether the document uses styles or a template that reapplies paragraph formatting. Select a paragraph that reverted, inspect its style and Paragraph dialog, and apply the required setting to the style if appropriate. If the file is shared, another user’s edits or a different template may have changed formatting. Save a new copy before making extensive repairs so you can compare it with the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I double-space an entire Word document?

Click in the document body, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Check separate areas such as text boxes, tables, and headers if they also need double spacing.

What is the keyboard shortcut for double spacing in Word?

Use Ctrl+2 on Windows or Command+2 on Mac. The shortcut applies to the current paragraph or selected paragraphs. Ctrl+1 or Command+1 returns them to single spacing.

Does double spacing add a blank line after every line?

No. It increases the vertical distance between lines within a paragraph. It does not insert empty paragraphs. Extra space between separate paragraphs is controlled by paragraph-before and paragraph-after settings.

Can I double-space only one paragraph or part of a document?

Yes. Select the paragraph or paragraphs you want to change, then choose 2.0 from the line-spacing menu. Text outside the selection keeps its existing formatting.

How do I set Word to double-space future documents?

Set Line spacing to Double in the Paragraph dialog and choose Set As Default. Select the option for documents based on the Normal template only if you want that formatting to carry into future documents that use the template.

Why is my double-spaced document much longer than expected?

Double spacing increases the vertical space used by each line, and additional paragraph spacing can add even more. Font size, margins, and page breaks affect the total pages too. Check the paragraph settings and the formatting requirements before adjusting the layout.

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