How to Double Space in Word (Fastest Method)

Double-spacing adds a blank line between every line of text. This makes your document easier to read, edit and make notes on. It is commonly used in academic and professional writing.

In Microsoft Word, there are various methods you can use to double-space your document. These steps were taken on Microsoft Word 2019 but will also work on any other version.

Method #1: Double-space using Line and Paragraph Spacing (fastest way)

1. Highlight the text you want to double-space.
2. Go to the Home tab and click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon.

   

3. A drop-down window appears—select 2.0 for double spacing.

   

   Your document will now automatically set each line to double-spaced as you write!

Method #2: Double-space using Paragraph Spacing

1. Highlight the text you want to double-space.
2. In the top menu, click on the Design tab. Then, select Paragraph Spacing.

   

3. A drop-down menu appears. Select Double to apply double spacing to your Word document.

Method #3: Double-space by right-clicking

1. Highlight or select the desired text or paragraph you want to double-space. Alternatively, select everything by pressing Ctrl + A (Command + A on Mac).

   

2. Right-click on the selected text. On the menu that appears, select Paragraph.

   

3. A Paragraph dialog box will appear. Click on the drop-down menu under Line Spacing. Select Double and click OK to apply double spacing on the selected text.

Method #4: Double-space using keyboard shortcuts

If you find yourself changing line spacing often, learning these keyboard shortcuts will save you a lot of time.

Shortcut for double-spacing:

To double-spacing text in Microsoft Word, first, highlight the text you want to double space, then use this shortcut:

• Ctrl + 2 (Windows)
• Command + 2 (Mac)

Shortcut for single spacing:

• Ctrl + 1 (Windows)
• Command + 1 (Mac)

Shortcut for 1.5 spacing:

• Ctrl + 5 (Windows)
• Command + 5 (Mac)

How to change the default line spacing of future Word documents

The line spacing in Microsoft Word is 1.15 by default. If you wish to change the default line spacing for new documents, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Home tab and click on the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon.

   

2. In the drop-down menu, select Line Spacing Options.

   

3. The Paragraph dialog box will appear. Click on the drop-down menu under Line Spacing and select Double. Select Set As Default.

   

4. In the dialog box, select All documents based on the Normal template. Finally, click OK.
   

   

   Any new Word document will now automatically be double-spaced when created.