The default spacing of 1.15 between lines and paragraphs is pretty good in most cases. However, under certain circumstances, you might have to double space your Microsoft Word 365 document. For instance, to improve readability, to leave ample room for inserting comments and corrections, to adhere to academic standards, etc.
Whatever the reason, doubling space between lines and paragraphs in Word 365 is a simple task. In this quick tutorial, I will show various methods to do exactly that. Let’s get started.
Difference Between Lines and Paragraphs in Word
Before changing the spacing between lines or paragraphs, you must understand the difference between them. That way, you can make an informed decision and not mess up the document formatting.
Lines: In Word, lines are individual rows of text. When you change the line spacing, you are adjusting the vertical distance between rows. i.e., one line of text and the next line.
Paragraphs: These are a group of sentences separated by a new line and optionally an indentation at the beginning of the first line. When you are changing the paragraph spacing, you are adjusting the vertical distance between two paragraphs.
Double Space Lines in Paragraphs
To double space lines in a paragraph(s) in Microsoft Word 365, there are three ways. You can follow any of the three methods shown below and the result will be the same. Just pick a method of your choice and use it to double the space between lines.
Using the Double Space Keyboard Shortcut
1. Open your document in Word 365.
2. Press Ctrl + A to select the entire document. If you only want to double space a specific paragraph, highlight that paragraph with your mouse.
3. Press the Ctrl + 2 shortcut to double the space.
Using the Ribbon Menu
1. Open your Word document.
2. Select a paragraph or the entire document by pressing the Ctrl + A shortcut.
3. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon menu.
4. In the Paragraph section, click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon.
5. Select 2.0 from the dropdown menu to double the space between lines.
Right-Click Menu Method
1. Open your Word document.
2. Select a paragraph or the entire document by pressing the Ctrl + A shortcut.
3. Right-click on the selected paragraph.
4. Click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing option.
5. Select 2.0 to double space.
Double Space Paragraphs
Apply Double Space to All Paragraphs in Your Document
1. Open your Word document.
2. Go to the Design tab.
3. Click on the Paragraph Spacing dropdown menu and choose Double.
Note: If a document has custom spacing already applied, this option will not work. In that case, you either have to remove the custom spacing before applying the double space or follow the alternate method shown below.
This will double the space between all the paragraphs in your document.
Apply Double Space to Only Selected Paragraphs
1. Open your Word document.
2. Select the paragraphs using your mouse.
3. Go to the Home tab.
4. Click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon.
5. Choose the Line Spacing Options item.
6. Under the “Spacing” section, double whatever value is in the After field (e.g., if it is 8 pt, change it to 16 pt). Make sure the Before field’s value is set to 0.
Note: In general, you should avoid using both Before and After values at the same time as it might cause inconsistencies in your document formatting.
7. Uncheck the “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style” checkbox.
8. Click OK.
This will double the space between the selected paragraphs.
Setting Double Spacing as the Default
If you want double space in all the documents you create, you can set it as default. Follow the below steps.
1. Open a Word document.
2. Go to the Home tab and click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon.
3. Choose the Line Spacing Options item.
4. Double the value in the “After” field under the “Spacing” section. Ensure the “Before” field’s value is set to 0.
5. Select Double from the “Line Spacing” dropdown menu.
6. Uncheck the “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style” checkbox.
7. Click the Set As Default button.
8. Select the All documents based on this template radio option.
Note: If you select the “This document only” option, the double spacing will be only applied to the currently opened document. That means, existing and any new content you add to the document will use double spacing.
9. Click OK.
That’s it. From now on, the double space will be applied automatically for all the new documents you create in Microsoft Word 365.
Wrapping Up – Double Spacing in Word 365
Whether you want to double space lines or paragraphs, it is a pretty simple task. To double space lines, go to the “Home” tab, click on the “Line and Paragraph Spacing” icon, and select “2.0.” To double space paragraphs, go to the “Design” tab, click on “Paragraph Spacing”, and select “Double.” It’s that simple.
If you have any questions or facing issues, comment below and I will answer them all to help you.
