How to Make Columns in Word the Same Width in Any Document

To make newspaper-style columns in Word equal width, open Layout > Columns > More Columns, choose how many columns you want, select Equal column width, and choose where the setting should apply. Word will divide the available page width evenly between the columns, taking the gutters and margins into account. These steps are for Microsoft Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows; the Mac route is similar.

What You’ll Need

A Word document and the desktop version of Word for the full column settings.
A clear idea of whether the change should affect the whole document, one section, or only selected text.
If the document already has multiple sections, be ready to identify the section you want to adjust. A section break controls where many layout settings, including columns, change.

You do not need to calculate column widths yourself. Word calculates them after you set the number of columns, the available page width, and any spacing between columns. These instructions refer to page-layout columns, like those used in newsletters. If you mean the columns inside a table, see the FAQ below because those have different controls.

Step-by-Step

Decide what text the columns should affect. If you want columns throughout the document, you can leave the insertion point where it is and set the layout to apply to the whole document. If only a passage should be in columns, select that text first. For a dedicated section, click inside it. To create a new area with its own column layout, put the cursor where the change should begin and use Layout > Breaks > Section Breaks > Continuous or Next Page. A continuous break starts the new section on the same page; a next-page break starts it on another page. If the column layout should end later, add another section break at the end of that area.
Open the full Columns settings. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the Layout tab, then choose Columns > More Columns in the Page Setup group. If your Word window is narrow, the ribbon may compress the group or show smaller buttons, but the Columns menu is still on Layout. In Word for Mac, use Layout > Columns > More Columns as well. Ribbon labels or their placement can differ slightly by release; the More Columns command opens the detailed settings.
Choose the number of columns. In the Columns dialog, select a preset such as Two or Three, or enter the number in the Number of columns box. The presets are a quick starting point, not a requirement. Use the number that suits the content and page size. If you only need two equal columns, for example, choose Two; do not choose the preset that shows a narrower side column.
Turn on Equal column width. Check Equal column width in the dialog. If it is already checked, leave it checked. With this option on, Word makes the columns the same width and uses the same spacing between them. The width fields may be unavailable or update automatically because Word is calculating the matching widths for you. If the checkbox is clear, Word can use different widths, so select it before applying the layout.
Set the spacing and optional divider. Adjust Spacing if you want more or less room between columns. The spacing is the gutter; it is not part of either column’s text width. With equal widths enabled, Word keeps the columns equal while accounting for this gap. You can also select Line between if a vertical rule would help distinguish the columns. This line is optional and does not make the columns wider or narrower.
Choose where to apply the setting and confirm. Use the Apply to list to choose the appropriate scope. Depending on your selection and section setup, options can include Whole document, This section, or Selected text. If you selected a passage, check that Selected text is the intended choice; Word may add section breaks around that selection to isolate its layout. Click OK to apply the settings.
Check the result in Print Layout. Look at the affected page and confirm that the text flows from one column to the next and that the columns appear the same width. If the result is not what you expected, reopen Layout > Columns > More Columns while the cursor is in the affected section. Verify Equal column width and Apply to, then adjust the number of columns or the spacing. Use Print Layout view to judge page widths; other views may not show the printed page boundaries clearly.

Equal width means the text areas have matching widths within the same section. It does not mean every column will contain the same amount of text. Word normally fills the first column downward before continuing into the next, so the last column may be shorter, especially near the end of a passage. If you want the text to begin in the next column at a particular point, insert a column break with Layout > Breaks > Column rather than adding repeated blank lines.

Common Mistakes

Using the quick preset and overlooking custom settings. The preset thumbnails are convenient, but the More Columns dialog is where you can verify the equal-width checkbox, spacing, and scope. Reopen it if a document has been edited before or has unusual formatting.
Changing the wrong section. Column formatting belongs to sections. If the cursor is in a different section from the one you meant to edit, Word may change that section instead. Click inside the target text before opening the dialog, and check Apply to before confirming.
Confusing page columns with table columns. The Layout tab’s Columns command formats flowing text on a page. It does not resize cells in a table. To equalize table columns, select the relevant table columns and use Table Layout > Distribute Columns.
Trying to make the columns contain equal amounts of text. Equal column width controls horizontal size, not how much text sits in each column. A column break can control where text continues, but it does not balance the widths or guarantee equal text lengths.
Using spaces or tabs to imitate columns. Manually spacing text is fragile: a different font, margin, or screen size can shift it. Use page columns for flowing article text, or a table when you need independent blocks that stay aligned side by side.

Tips

Set page margins before fine-tuning. The usable width depends on the paper size and margins. If you change those after setting columns, the available space changes too. Set them first with Layout > Margins and Layout > Size, then review the column layout.
Choose spacing for readability. A very narrow gap can make neighboring columns hard to distinguish, while a very wide one reduces the space available for text. Start with Word’s default spacing, then adjust in small increments and inspect the page at its actual size.
Use section breaks for mixed layouts. If the introduction should be one column and the body two, create a section break between them, click in the body, and apply two columns to This section. Add another section break where you want to return to one column, then set the following section accordingly.
Use a column break to control flow. To start a heading or paragraph at the top of the next column, place the cursor before it and choose Layout > Breaks > Column. This is more reliable than pressing Enter repeatedly, since later edits can otherwise push the text out of place.
Keep a copy before major layout changes. If a long document has many section breaks, save a copy before changing the column structure. That gives you a simple way to recover if the formatting becomes difficult to untangle.

Troubleshooting

The columns still look unequal. Open More Columns with the cursor inside the affected area, select Equal column width, and confirm the dialog applies to the correct section. Also check whether the page is displaying a selection or section with different margins. Compare the column boundaries in Print Layout rather than judging by how much text each contains.
The whole document changed, or only part of it changed. Undo immediately with Ctrl+Z on Windows or Command+Z on Mac if the result is fresh, then click in the intended section and repeat the settings. In the dialog, choose This section for a section-specific change or Whole document for a document-wide change. For selected text, confirm that Word is applying the formatting to that selection.
Text jumps to another page or column. This can happen when the new layout leaves less room for a paragraph, image, or table. Check for manual page breaks, column breaks, and section breaks near the affected text. Turn on formatting marks with Home > Show/Hide ¶ to see them, then remove only the break that is not needed. Review paragraph settings such as page breaks before as well.
You cannot find the Equal column width option. Make sure you opened More Columns rather than choosing a one-click preset. In Word for the web, detailed page-layout controls may be limited or arranged differently; open the file in the desktop Word app to use the full Columns dialog. On Mac, look under Layout > Columns > More Columns.
The columns appear equal on screen but differ in a printout. Check that the document uses the intended paper size, margins, and printer settings. A printer may have non-printable margins that alter how the page is placed, even though Word’s column widths match. Use Print Preview to inspect the final page layout before printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Word make columns equal width by default?
Many standard multi-column presets use equal widths, but an existing document may contain custom widths or section-specific settings. Open More Columns and check Equal column width rather than assuming the current layout uses it.

Can I make just one paragraph or a selected passage into columns?
Yes. Select the passage, open More Columns, choose the number of columns, and set Apply to to Selected text if that option is offered. Word may create section breaks around the selection so the rest of the document keeps its layout. Check the surrounding pages afterward.

How do I make two columns equal in a Word table?
Click in the table and select the two columns you want to resize. Open the contextual Table Layout tab and choose Distribute Columns. This makes the selected table columns equal within the table; it is separate from page-layout columns.

Can I change the gap without changing the column widths?
You can change the gap in More Columns, but the page has a fixed usable width. With Equal column width on, Word redistributes the available width so the columns remain equal as the spacing changes. A larger gutter leaves less total width for the text columns.

Can I have equal columns on one page and a single column on the next?
Yes. Use a section break to separate the layouts. Set the first section to multiple equal columns and the following section to One column, making sure Apply to is set to This section. A continuous section break keeps the transition on the same page when space allows; a Next Page break starts the new layout on the next page.

Will equal columns have the same amount of text?
No. Equal column width makes the text areas the same horizontal size. Text length depends on the words, paragraph formatting, images, and where the column or section ends. Use a column break to choose a starting point for the next column, or adjust the content if you need a visually balanced ending.

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