Adjusting line spacing is essential for improving readability and meeting formatting requirements in academic or professional documents. This guide explains how to set line spacing in the English version of Microsoft Word on both Windows and macOS.
Method 1: Using the Ribbon Menu
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Select the paragraph(s) you want to adjust.
- Go to the Home tab.
- In the Paragraph group, click the Line and Paragraph Spacing icon (it looks like stacked lines with arrows).
- Choose a spacing option such as 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2.0, or select Line Spacing Options for more settings.
Method 2: Using Keyboard Shortcuts
- Ctrl + 1: Sets single line spacing.
- Ctrl + 2: Sets double line spacing.
- Ctrl + 5: Sets 1.5 line spacing.
Method 3: Custom Line Spacing
- Click Line Spacing Options from the ribbon menu.
- In the Paragraph dialog box, under Spacing, choose your desired value from the Line spacing dropdown (e.g., Exactly, At least, Multiple).
- Enter a specific value in the At: field if needed.
- Click OK to apply.
Tips
- To apply line spacing to the entire document, press Ctrl + A before adjusting spacing.
- Ensure "Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style" is unchecked if spacing appears inconsistent.