Double spacing means putting extra space between every line of text

When you double space a document, Word adds blank space equal to one full line between each line of text you've written. A single-spaced document has text sitting close together; a double-spaced one looks airier, with visible gaps. Most academic papers, job applications, and formal submissions ask for double spacing because it's easier to read and leaves room for handwritten feedback.

Word gives you two ways to do this: change the spacing for your entire document at once, or select just the paragraphs you want to adjust. Both take less than a minute. The method you choose depends on whether you want to change everything or only specific sections.

Key Takeaways

  • Select all text with Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac), then use the line spacing button in the Home tab to choose double spacing.
  • You can also go to Format > Paragraph and set line spacing to "Double" if the button method doesn't work for you.
  • If you only want part of your document double-spaced, select just those paragraphs before changing the spacing.
  • Double spacing applies to the paragraphs you've selected — changing it won't affect text you add later unless you change the default.

The fastest way: using the line spacing button

Open your Word document. Press Ctrl+A on Windows or Command+A on Mac to select every word in the document. Everything should highlight in blue.

Look at the Home tab at the top of the screen. Find the line spacing button — it looks like four horizontal lines with arrows pointing up and down next to them. Click it. A small menu drops down showing spacing options: 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, Double, and sometimes custom options. Click Double. Your entire document is now double-spaced.

If you can't find the button, your screen might be zoomed out or the ribbon might be collapsed. Look for a small arrow or icon that looks like lines with spacing between them in the paragraph section of the Home tab. The button is usually near other formatting tools like bold and italic.

Using the Format menu if the button isn't visible

Select all your text with Ctrl+A or Command+A. Go to the Format menu at the top of the screen and click Paragraph. A dialog box opens with several tabs and options.

Look for the Indents & Spacing tab (it's usually already selected). Find the section labeled Spacing or Line Spacing. There's a dropdown menu that probably says "Single" right now. Click it and select Double. Click OK at the bottom of the dialog box. Your document is now double-spaced.

This method works the same way on both Windows and Mac versions of Word, though the exact location of menu items may vary slightly depending on your Word version.

Double-spacing only part of your document

Sometimes you need only certain sections double-spaced — maybe your introduction is single-spaced but your body paragraphs need to be double. Click at the start of the text you want to change and drag to select it, or click once and then hold Shift while clicking at the end of the section you want. The selected text highlights in blue.

Now use either method above: click the line spacing button and choose Double, or go to Format > Paragraph and set it to Double. Only the text you selected changes. The rest of your document stays as it was. This is useful when different parts of your document have different formatting requirements.

What happens to new text you type after changing spacing

If you double-space a section and then keep typing after it, Word continues in double spacing. If you want to switch back to single spacing, select the new text you're about to write and change the spacing before you type, or select what you've written and change it afterward.

If you want to change the default spacing for all new documents you create, go to Format > Paragraph, set line spacing to Double, then click Set as Default at the bottom of the dialog. Every new document will start double-spaced. You can always change individual documents back to single spacing if needed.

Checking that your spacing actually changed

After you double-space, look at your document. The lines should have noticeably more space between them than before. If nothing looks different, make sure you selected all the text (Ctrl+A highlights everything) before changing the spacing. If you only selected part of the document, the rest stays single-spaced.

You can also check by going to Format > Paragraph and looking at the Line Spacing dropdown. It should say "Double" if the change took. If it says "Single" or something else, the text you're looking at wasn't included in your selection. This verification step helps you catch mistakes before you submit or print.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does double spacing make my document longer?

Yes. A single-spaced page becomes roughly two pages when you double-space it, because the extra line breaks push text down. If you're working within a page limit, double spacing will use more pages.

Can I double-space just the body of my paper and keep the heading single-spaced?

Yes. Select only the body text (not the heading) and apply double spacing to just that section. Your heading stays single-spaced. You can mix spacing throughout a document by selecting different parts separately.

What if I double-space by mistake and want to undo it?

Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Command+Z (Mac) immediately to undo. If you've already saved and closed the document, open it again, select all text, and change the line spacing back to Single.

Is there a difference between double spacing and 2.0 line spacing?

No — they're the same thing. Word uses "Double" and "2.0" interchangeably. Some programs show it as a number (2.0) and some as a word (Double), but the result is identical.