Changing Double Spaces to Single Spaces in Word

If you need to replace double spaces with a single space throughout a Word document, here’s a quick and easy method to do so.

What’s the Deal with Single and Double Spaces?

For decades, people used double spaces between sentences, a practice rooted in traditional typesetting before digital technology. Pre-digital typesetting required double spaces due to limitations in typewriters and printing equipment. Today, however, single spaces are the norm in digital and professional writing.

Many style guides now recommend using a single space after periods. For example:

• Chicago Manual of Style: Single space after a period.
• MLA: Single space after a period.
• APA: Suggests two spaces, but they have been inconsistent over the years.

Ultimately, it’s up to you or your organization’s style guide to decide whether to use single or double spaces. But if you find yourself working with a document that has double spaces between sentences, here’s how to easily change them.

How to Change Double Spaces to Single Spaces

1. Open the Find and Replace Window:
   • On the Home tab of the Ribbon, click the Replace button on the far right, or press Ctrl + H.
2. Set Up the Find and Replace:
   • In the Find what box, type two spaces (press the space bar twice).
   • In the Replace with box, type one space (press the space bar once).
3. Choose the Scope of the Search:
   • If you want to search the entire document, leave no text selected, and click Replace All.
   • If you want to limit the search to part of the document, select that text first, and then click Replace All. Word will only search and replace double spaces within the selected text.
4. Review the Results:
   • After clicking Replace All, Word will notify you of the number of replacements made.
   • If you had selected only part of the document, Word will offer to search the rest of the document for you.

Additional Tips

• Limit Search to Specific Sections: If your document includes instances of multiple spaces (e.g., aligning text with multiple spaces between words), it may be safer to perform the search on smaller sections of the document at a time to avoid unintended replacements.
• Consistency: Make sure to follow the style guide for the document you’re working on, whether it’s single or double spaces after periods.

By following these steps, you can quickly convert double spaces to single spaces in your Word document, ensuring a cleaner, more modern appearance.

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