Double Spacing in Microsoft Word: How to Set It Up

To set double spacing in Microsoft Word, select the text, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. To apply it to the whole document, select everything first with Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac. Double spacing adds more vertical room between lines, which can make a document easier to read, mark up, or format to meet submission requirements. The steps below are for Microsoft 365 desktop Word; the ribbon labels are similar in recent versions.

What You’ll Need

A document open in Microsoft Word. If you are starting from scratch, create a blank document first.
Permission to edit the document. A read-only or protected document may prevent formatting changes.
The scope you want to change: selected paragraphs, the whole document, or the default for new documents.

Step-by-Step

Open the document and decide what to change. Double spacing can apply to one paragraph, a section, selected passages, or the main body of a document. If you only need a specific section double-spaced, identify it before changing anything. If a teacher, editor, or template gives formatting instructions, check whether they mean the entire document or only its body text; headings, captions, footnotes, and references may have separate rules.
Select the text you want to format. To change one paragraph, click anywhere inside it; you do not need to highlight every line. To change a range, drag across the text or click at its beginning, then hold Shift and click at its end. To select the entire main document on Windows, press Ctrl+A. On Mac, press Command+A. If the cursor is inside a table, Ctrl+A or Command+A may select the table or its contents rather than the whole document. Click in ordinary body text first if your aim is to select the main document.
Open the line-spacing menu. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon. In the Paragraph group, choose Line and Paragraph Spacing. The button usually shows horizontal lines with up-and-down arrows. If the Word window is narrow, the Paragraph group or button may be collapsed; widen the window or look for the grouped ribbon controls.
Choose 2.0. In the menu, click 2.0. Word applies double line spacing to the selected text, or to the paragraph containing the insertion point if you made no selection. Look at several paragraphs to confirm the change. The spacing should increase between lines within paragraphs, not create an empty paragraph between every line.
Use the keyboard shortcut if you prefer. Select the desired text and press Ctrl+2 on Windows. In Word for Mac, press Command+2. These shortcuts apply double line spacing to the selection or current paragraph. On Windows, Ctrl+1 applies single spacing and Ctrl+5 applies 1.5 spacing. Shortcuts can be intercepted by another program or keyboard utility, so use the ribbon menu if one does not work.
Check paragraph spacing separately. Line spacing controls the distance between lines in a paragraph. Space Before and Space After control the gap between paragraphs. If the document looks unusually loose after choosing 2.0, open the Home tab, click the Paragraph dialog launcher (the small arrow in the corner of the Paragraph group), and review Spacing. For a plain double-spaced document, check that Line spacing is set to Double and that Before or After spacing is not adding unwanted extra gaps. Do not remove paragraph spacing if your formatting instructions require it.
Set double spacing as the default only if you want it in future documents. In the Paragraph dialog, choose 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 current document if you only want this file changed. Choose the Normal-template option only if you want new documents using that template to start with the same paragraph setting. This changes a default, not just the text currently selected, so read the prompt before confirming.
Save and review the result. Press Ctrl+S on Windows or Command+S on Mac. Scroll through the document, especially around headings, lists, tables, and page breaks. If the content now runs to more pages, that is expected: double spacing uses more vertical space. If you are working in Word for the web, select the text, use Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0; some advanced paragraph and default controls may differ from desktop Word.

Common Mistakes

Adding blank lines instead of setting line spacing: Pressing Enter between every line or paragraph creates extra empty paragraphs. Those gaps behave differently from double spacing and can shift when you edit the text. Set the line-spacing value to 2.0 instead. If the document already has many blank paragraphs, remove them carefully rather than applying more spacing on top.

Changing only the paragraph at the cursor: If no text is selected, Word generally changes the paragraph containing the insertion point. The rest of the document may remain single-spaced. Select the full document or the intended passage before choosing 2.0, then check more than the first paragraph.

Confusing line spacing with paragraph spacing: A large gap between paragraphs may come from Space After, not from the double-spacing setting. Conversely, changing paragraph spacing to zero does not make lines double-spaced. These are separate controls in the Paragraph dialog.

Overlooking text in separate areas: Selecting the main document may not change text in headers, footers, text boxes, or some shapes. Tables can also affect how selection works. Format those areas separately if the instructions require them to be double-spaced, and verify them individually.

Tips

Use the formatting mark view to diagnose odd gaps. On the Home tab, click Show/Hide ¶ to display paragraph marks and other nonprinting characters. A stack of paragraph marks can reveal blank paragraphs that are making a document look more widely spaced than intended. Click the button again to hide the marks; they do not print.
Use styles for consistent documents. If you are writing a long report, set spacing in the paragraph style used for the body text, such as Normal, rather than fixing every paragraph by hand. Right-click the style in the Styles gallery, choose Modify, and adjust its paragraph formatting. The exact style behavior depends on the document template, so review headings and other styles after making a change.
Keep headings and lists intentional. A requirement for double-spaced body text does not always mean that every heading, table, or bullet list must use the same setting. Select and format those elements according to the instructions you have been given. If all text truly must be double-spaced, include them in the selection and inspect the result.
Check the document in Print Layout. Page breaks and pagination change when spacing changes. Use View > Print Layout to inspect page flow and avoid assuming that a larger page count means the setting failed.
Leave the default alone for a one-time assignment. Changing the Normal template can affect future documents. For a single paper or report, format the current file rather than changing the default for every new document.

Troubleshooting

The document did not change: Confirm that you selected the intended text and chose 2.0, rather than a nearby option. If using Ctrl+2 or Command+2, try the ribbon menu instead. Also check whether editing is restricted, the document is in read-only mode, or a selection is limited to a table or text box.

Only some paragraphs are double-spaced: The selection may not have covered the full body, or the document may contain paragraphs with different formatting or styles. Select the affected body text and apply 2.0 again. For a whole-document change, click in the main text and use Ctrl+A or Command+A, then check headers, footers, and text boxes separately.

There is too much space between paragraphs: Open the Paragraph dialog and inspect both line spacing and Before/After spacing. If line spacing is Double and paragraph spacing is also large, the two settings combine. Adjust Before and After only as appropriate for the required format; do not use the Remove Space After Paragraph command as a substitute for setting line spacing.

Some lines appear farther apart than others: Mixed formatting, different styles, or blank paragraphs may be responsible. Turn on Show/Hide ¶, remove unintended empty paragraphs, and compare the paragraph settings in a normal body paragraph and an affected one. If necessary, select the inconsistent text and reapply the correct style or line-spacing setting.

The pages or layout changed unexpectedly: More line spacing naturally pushes content onto additional pages. Review page breaks, tables, and headings in Print Layout. Avoid repeatedly pressing Enter to force content back onto a page; that can create fragile layout changes. If the document must fit a specific page count, follow its formatting instructions rather than reducing spacing without permission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing mean pressing Enter twice?
No. Double spacing sets the distance between lines in a paragraph. Pressing Enter twice creates a separate blank paragraph, which can cause uneven gaps and move text when you edit.

Can I double-space just one paragraph?
Yes. Click in the paragraph and choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. You can also select several paragraphs first to change only that section.

How do I double-space an entire Word document?
Click in the main body text, press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac, then choose Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing > 2.0. Check headers, footers, and text boxes separately if they need the same formatting.

Is double spacing the same as 2.0 spacing?
In Word’s line-spacing menu, 2.0 means double line spacing. It does not automatically remove or set paragraph gaps, which are controlled separately.

Will double spacing increase the page count?
Usually. The extra space between lines means fewer lines fit on each page. The exact change depends on the font, margins, paragraph spacing, headings, and document length.

How do I make future documents double-spaced?
Open the Paragraph dialog, choose Set As Default, then choose the option for documents based on the Normal template. Use this only if you want the setting to carry into future documents; otherwise, apply it to the current file alone.

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