Double-spacing is an essential formatting technique for documents, and Microsoft Word makes it incredibly easy to achieve. Whether you need to double space specific paragraphs or your entire document, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.
Double Spacing Specific Paragraphs
1.
Select the Paragraphs:
Open your Word document and highlight the paragraphs you want to double space.2.
Navigate to the Home Tab:
Look for the ‘Home’ tab in the Ribbon menu at the top of the screen.3.
Line and Paragraph Spacing Icon:
Within the ‘Paragraph’ section of the Home tab, locate the icon that resembles a paragraph with two vertically-oriented arrows.4.
Choose ‘2.0’:
Click the icon and select ‘2.0’ from the drop-down menu. Your selected paragraphs will now be double-spaced.Double Spacing the Entire Document
For a document that needs to be double-spaced throughout, there are two convenient methods:
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Before Typing:
1.
New Document:
Start a new Word document.2.
Home Tab:
Go to the ‘Home’ tab.3.
Line and Paragraph Spacing Icon:
Click the ‘Line and Paragraph Spacing’ icon.4.
Select ‘2.0’:
Choose ‘2.0’ from the menu. As you begin typing, your document will automatically be double-spaced.*
After Typing:
1.
Select All:
Press ‘Ctrl + A’ to select the entire text.2.
Follow Steps 2-4:
Complete steps 2 to 4 from the ‘Double Spacing Specific Paragraphs’ section above.Double Spacing Using the Design Tab
Alternatively, you can double space your document using the ‘Design’ tab:
1.
New Document:
Open a fresh Word document.2.
Design Tab:
Click on the ‘Design’ tab.3.
Paragraph Spacing:
Select ‘Paragraph Spacing’ from the menu.4.
Double Spacing:
Choose ‘Double’ from the drop-down menu.Understanding Line and Paragraph Spacing
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Line Spacing:
Refers to the vertical space between individual lines of text within a paragraph. Think of it as the height between two consecutive lines.*
Paragraph Spacing:
Refers to the space between two separate paragraphs, effectively creating a visual break between them.Line and Paragraph Spacing vs. Alignment
It’s important to note that line and paragraph spacing relate to vertical spacing, while alignment determines the horizontal positioning of text within a line or paragraph. Word provides four alignment options: Left, Center, Right, and Justified.
Undoing Double Spacing
If you’re not happy with the double spacing, you can easily undo it:
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Try a Different Setting:
Change the line or paragraph spacing to a different value.*
Reset to Original Setting:
Reset the spacing back to the default ‘1.0’.*
Undo Feature:
Click the curvy left-facing arrow in the top left corner of the window or press ‘Ctrl + Z’.*
