Microsoft Word 2010 Spacing

By Aun on Dec 10 2009 25 Comments

Spacing is very important while creating documents as it impacts the outlook  and presentation of the document. You can easily increase or decrease the spacing between paragraphs, lines, and even words in Microsoft Word 2010.

How To Modify Spacing Between Paragraphs

It is very easy to change the spacing before or after any particular paragraph or set of paragraphs. Simply select the paragraph(s) for which you are going to change the spacing and click on the Page Layout tab, here find the Paragraph group. Now choose the new spacing values in the form of points here.

Paragraph Spacing

How To Modify Spacing Between Lines

We have described the method of changing the space before and after the paragraph in the above section. Lets see how we can change the line spacing in your document. It is also very easy, click the Home menu and go to the Paragraph section here, and in the Line Spacing option, choose the new spacing that you need. You can double the line spacing by choosing 2 or triple it by choose 3 and so on.

Line Spacing

You can also remove spacing before or after the paragraph from this option. Enjoy!

  • eugene goldberg

    i have already tried this making single spacing the default and there is still too much space between lines

    • Cory

      Yeah me too. I put it as 0 but the space size still doesn’t change >.<

    • AnAwesomePerson

      I figured it out my friends!
      On the home tab, on the left there are a few boxes that say “AaBbCcDd” And under that ‘Paragraph Normal.” Click the second one that says “AaBbCcDd” And under it says ‘No spacing’
      TA DA!

    • AwesomeDJ

      My epic brother figured it out! Here’s what you do:
      Under the drop down line spacing box, click on line spacing options.
      Under the subtitle Spacing, make the “Before” and “After” 0pt instead of 10pt (or whatever else it is)
      If this works, make it your default.
      Hope I helped *_* :)

  • Word

    it sucks!

  • sCRUMPs

    THANKx ALOT! YOU WERE SUCH A HELP.

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  • http://NONE ANON

    Microsoft Word Fails for making a works cited pages. You can’t indent on the second line of paragraph. :| You fail.

  • Lia

    THIS SUCKS. You cant indent after!!!!
    Why would you do this to people?

  • Steve J

    Is there anyway to adjust the line spacing in Outlook 2010 for incoming emails? We print our emails, process them, scan, shred and the 1.15 is making a one page email into two. That doubles everyones work and kills more trees.

  • ana

    Followed instructions and still cannot get single spacing. What else can I do?
    Single spacing here but not on my word document! Can anyone help?

    • Vivian Jones Gaddy

      Did you ever figure out how to make word not space in between the lines – I’m having the same trouble ! !

  • ana

    I went to styles and change styles. I don’t seem to have a revert to 2003 option. I went to paragraph spacing, opted for none and set as default, and hallelujah I have single line spacing.
    Why is this not set as default then if you want double spacing change for that or click enter twice. So much simpler! Too simple for microsoft to employ.

    • Vivian Jones Gaddy

      I can’t seem to find none on line spacing – can’t get it to just let me type and not put lines in between – help ! !

      Vjones@charter.net
      828-275-2680

  • Latasha

    This helps me soo much. Thank you!!

  • Carl

    Sorry, does not work. Each time I hit enter it places to breaks which is NOT what I want.
    Since this is just a trial Word 2010, I will just use my downloads left for Word 2003 which is vastly more user friendly

  • Jim Shaneman

    Still having trouble single spacing document. Seemed to have tried all suggestions. Did like my Office 2003 system, and things seemed much easier, though not as many options. Would just like to have sensible single spacing option, and some clearer instructions on how to do that in Office 2010 Thanks, j

  • ruhi

    thank you very much it was very helpful :)

  • Judy M

    Click the remove space before and after paragraph

  • Austin W

    What you need to do (in office 2010) is use the change styles drop down on the far right of the ribbon, under the home section. Go to paragraph spacing and adjust the paragraph accordingly. You may then change the line spacing as traditionally done in the paragraph section of the home ribbon. This was a style change in 2007 and beyond because Microsoft thought the page was too compact. the change styles section reverses this item to pre-2007 style. Took some digging to find. Hope this helps!

    • Matrix

      Hey thanks, Austin W. This line-spacing problem was driving me nuts, so you saved me from going to drink on this issue.

  • Jacky

    Thank you to Austin W for saving my sanity.

  • CJ

    None of these suggestions fix this problem (line spacing). Try typing in a simple letter header. You know: (like you would expect it to look)

    My Name
    My Street
    My Town
    My Zip

    Word 2010 insists that it be

    My Name

    My Street

    My Town

    My Zip

    and I haven’t found anyway to change it except to not use Word 2010. which is what I intend to do.
    Pretty much like not ever using any newer OS than XP, because life is too short and I refuse to be a slave to Microsoft.

  • ANON

    wtf i dont get it!!!

  • sharon givler

    I need to type a letter and use single spacing. How do I do that?

  • J

    All you need to do is hold the Shift key the same time you hit the Enter button… Instead of just hitting the Enter key by itself.
    To: Jane Doe(Now Hold Shift key and hit the Enter Key)
    From: John Smith(Same as above…etc)