In Microsoft Word you can change the line spacing as well as the space between paragraphs. For better readability increasing the space is is usually a good idea. Decrease it, if you want to show more text on a single page.
How to change line spacing in an entire document
In order to change the line spacing for an entire document, follow these steps:
- At the top of the document, click “Design”.
- In the ribbon at the top of your screen, click the option “Paragraph Spacing”.
- Chose an option from the drop-down menu. Select “No Paragraph Space” if you want to single line your text.
How to change the spacing of a single paragraph
This is what you must do if you want to change the line spacing only for a portion of your document:
- Select the paragraph(s) you wish to change and then click “Home” at the top of your screen.
- In the ribbon, find the “Paragraph” section and click the “Line and Paragraph Spacing” icon (as shown in the picture below).
- Choose an option from the drop-down menu.
- If you click “Line spacing option”, you will see more options in a pop-up window.
- Alternatively, you can open the pop-up window “Paragraph” by selecting the paragraph(s), right clicking on the mouse and then selecting “Paragraph”.
- Under “Spacing” you can also set the space before and after a paragraph. There’s also the option to not add space between paragraphs of the same style.
- Click “OK” once you’ve finished.
Change the spacing in Word Online
If you use the web version of Microsoft Word, the methods to change the line spacing for an entire document or just for a portion are one and the same:
- Select the paragraph(s) you wish to change. If you want to change the line spacing for the entire document, select everything (Ctrl + A).
- Click “Home” at the top of your screen and then the “Line Spacing” icon.
- In the dialog box, select an option and also set the distance you want to have before and after the paragraphs.
- Click “OK” to save the changes.
