How to Double Space in a Word Document (Every Method Explained)

Double spacing is one of the most commonly requested formatting adjustments in Microsoft Word — whether you're following an academic style guide, preparing a document for editorial review, or simply making a draft easier to read. The process is straightforward, but there are a few different ways to apply it, and which method works best depends on how your document is structured and what you actually want to achieve.

What Double Spacing Actually Does

When you apply double spacing in Word, you're adjusting the line spacing — the vertical distance between lines of text within a paragraph. At single spacing, Word fits lines close together based on the font size. At double spacing, it inserts the equivalent of one blank line between each line of text, effectively doubling the breathing room.

This is different from adding blank lines between paragraphs manually by pressing Enter. That's a common workaround, but it creates inconsistent formatting and causes problems when you revisit or share the document.

Word handles line spacing through its Paragraph formatting settings, which can be applied to selected text, a single paragraph, or an entire document.

How to Double Space a Word Document: The Main Methods

Method 1: Using the Home Tab (Quickest for Selected Text)

1. Select the text you want to double space. To select everything, press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Command + A (Mac).
2. Go to the Home tab in the ribbon.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button — it looks like lines with arrows pointing up and down.
4. Select 2.0 from the dropdown menu.

This applies double spacing immediately to your selection. It works in all modern versions of Word, including Microsoft 365, Word 2019, Word 2016, and Word for Mac.

Method 2: Using the Paragraph Dialog Box (Most Control)

For precise control — especially if you also want to manage spacing before and after paragraphs — the Paragraph dialog is the better route.

1. Select your text (or press Ctrl + A to select all).
2. Right-click and choose Paragraph, or go to Home → Paragraph → the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Paragraph group.
3. Under Line spacing, open the dropdown and select Double.
4. Click OK.

This method also lets you set Before and After spacing to zero if you want clean double spacing without extra gaps between paragraphs — a common requirement for MLA and APA formatting.

Method 3: Keyboard Shortcut ⌨️

If you prefer to keep your hands on the keyboard:

• Ctrl + 2 (Windows) applies double spacing to the selected paragraph or text instantly.
• Ctrl + 1 returns to single spacing.
• Ctrl + 5 applies 1.5 line spacing.

These shortcuts work in all major desktop versions of Word.

Method 4: Changing the Default Style

If you want every new document to start with double spacing rather than adjusting it each time:

1. Go to Home → Styles.
2. Right-click the Normal style and choose Modify.
3. Click Format → Paragraph in the dialog.
4. Set Line spacing to Double and click OK.
5. Select New documents based on this template before confirming.

This changes the default for all future documents created from that template. Existing documents won't be affected unless you open them and update the style.

Double Spacing in Word for the Web and Mobile

The desktop application offers the most control, but Word is also available in trimmed-down versions:

Word for the Web (browser): Go to Home → Line Spacing and select 2.0. The Paragraph dialog is available but has fewer options than the desktop version.

Word on mobile (iOS/Android): Tap the formatting icon (A with lines), navigate to Paragraph, and adjust Line Spacing. The interface varies slightly between operating systems and app versions, but the setting exists in both.

Common Formatting Scenarios and How They Differ 📄

The Variables That Affect Your Result

Even with the same setting applied, your output can look different depending on a few factors:

Font and font size — Larger fonts at double spacing create noticeably more whitespace than smaller fonts. A 12pt font at double spacing looks very different from a 10pt font at the same setting.

Paragraph spacing settings — If your document has Space Before or Space After set to a non-zero value, double spacing stacks on top of those gaps. This is often why double-spaced documents look more than double-spaced. Checking and zeroing out those values is usually necessary for academic submissions.

Style inheritance — Text formatted with a named style (like Heading 1 or Normal) will override manually applied spacing if the style is updated. If your double spacing keeps reverting, the style is likely overriding it.

Version of Word — The interface placement of these controls has shifted across versions. In older versions (Word 2010 and earlier), the path is slightly different, though the underlying settings are the same.

Mixed formatting in pasted text — Pasting content from another source can bring its own spacing settings. Pasting as plain text (Ctrl + Shift + V on Windows) avoids this, but strips all formatting in the process.

When "Double Spacing" Doesn't Mean What You Think 🔍

Some users apply double spacing when what they actually need is space between paragraphs — not between every line. These are different settings. If your goal is visual separation between paragraphs rather than expanded line height throughout, adjusting the Space After setting in Paragraph formatting (typically to 12pt or 18pt) achieves a cleaner result than full double spacing.

Others need to match a specific style guide's definition. APA and MLA both specify true double spacing (2.0) with no extra space before or after paragraphs — but Chicago style and some journal formats have their own rules. Always cross-reference the specific guide you're working from rather than assuming a setting matches a standard.

How straightforward the process is for you will depend on which version of Word you're using, how your document is currently structured, and what the double spacing is ultimately meant to accomplish.