Change Line Spacing

Summary

Change the vertical space between the lines of text in your document by setting the line spacing

Body

Among the many formatting options in Word, you are able to adjust line and paragraph spacing. You can increase spacing to improve readability and reduce it to fit more text on the page, but first, please review your assignment requirements pertaining to format. 

Windows 10

Change Line Spacing for the Entire Document

  • Go to Design > Paragraph Spacing.

Location of Paragraph Spacing menu on Design Tab  

  • Choose an option. To single space your document, select No Paragraph Space.

To return to the original settings later, go to Design > Paragraph Spacing and choose the option under Style Set. This may be Default or the name of style you’re currently using.

Change Line Spacing for a Portion of the Document

  • Select one or more paragraphs to update. Press Ctrl + A to select all.

  • Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing Line and Paragraph Spacing button

Location of Paragraph and Line Spacing icon on Home Tab  

  • Select Line Spacing Options and choose an option in the Line spacing box.

    Line spacing options
  • Adjust the Before and After settings to change spacing between paragraphs.

  • Select OK.

 

Mac

  • Go to Design > Paragraph Spacing.

    On the Design tab, Paragraph Spacing is highlighted

  • Choose the option you want. If you want to single space your document, choose No Paragraph Space.

This overrides the settings of the style you’re currently using. If you decide later to return to the original settings, go to Design > Paragraph Spacing and choose the option under Style Set. The option might be Default, as shown above, or it will show the name of style you’re currently using.

Change Line Spacing for a Portion of a Document

  • Select the paragraphs you want to change.

  • Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing.

    On the Home tab, Line Spacing is hightlighted

  • Choose the number of line spaces you want or select Line Spacing Options, and then select the options you want under Spacing.

    In the Paragraph dialog box, the Spacing section is highlighted

  • To change the spacing before or after each of the paragraphs in the text you selected, click the arrow next to Before or After and enter the amount of space that you want.

  • Select OK.

 

To Keep All Lines in a Paragraph Together

  • Select the paragraph whose lines you want to keep together.

  • Go to Format > Paragraph >Line and Page Breaks.

  • Select Keep lines together.

 

To Keep Paragraphs Together on One Page

  • Select the first of the two paragraphs that you want to keep together.
    • Tip: If you want to keep more than two paragraphs together, select all but the last paragraph.
  • Go to Format > Paragraph.

  • Go to Line and Page Breaks.

  • Select Keep with next.

  • Select OK.

Click here for Microsoft Support for Line Spacing

Details

Details

Article ID: 156498
Created
Thu 5/8/25 4:49 PM