When typing various text documents, there is a need for different line spacing. For example, for essays or term papers one and a half line spacing (1.5) is often required, while in others text documents Line spacing of 1.0 or 1.15 can be used. Therefore, it is very important to be able to change line spacing in Word.

To change the line spacing in Word, use a special button, which is located on the “Home” tab in the “Paragraph” button block. This button looks like several lines of arrows and is fairly easy to spot.

If you are using Word 2003, there is also such a button there.

After clicking this button, a menu appears in which you can select one of several standard line spacing. In particular, here you can select one and a half line spacing (1.5), which is often required for abstracts, coursework and dissertations.

Additional line spacing settings

In addition to standard intervals in this menu There is an item “Other line spacing options”. It should be used if none of the intervals available in the menu are suitable.

If you select “Other line spacing options”, a window will appear in front of you with additional settings indents and spacing. In order to adjust line spacing, you will need a settings block called “Spacing”. Here you can change the way the line spacing is formed, as well as its size (value).

The following methods for forming line spacing are available here:

  • Single – spacing is selected depending on the largest font in the line.
  • 1.5 lines – an interval of 1.5 lines. In fact, this is the same one and a half line spacing.
  • Double spacing is the same as single spacing, but twice as long.
  • Minimum – the minimum spacing required for normal display of all characters.
  • Exact – the exact size of the line spacing in points.
  • Multiplier – standard way line spacing formatting. Increases single line spacing by a specified number of times.

If you upgraded to Word 2007 or 2010 from earlier versions, you will no doubt have noticed that the default line spacing has become larger. Today we will figure out how to adjust line spacing in Microsoft Word.

In Word 2003, the default line spacing was set to 1.0 , which some users found too dense.

Change line spacing in Word 2007 and 2010

In Word 2007 and 2010, Microsoft changed the default line spacing to 1.15 . It has now become quite satisfactory for many users because the offerings don't try to clump together. But you may want to customize it for yourself.

If you want to change the line spacing for the entire document, then on the tab Home(Home) in the section Styles(Styles) select Change Styles(Change Styles) and then Style Set(Style Set).

Here's an example of the style Manuscript(Manuscript):

For more information about dynamic preview in Word, as well as how to enable or disable it, read this lesson.

Set the default style set

You may want to set one of the default style sets for each newly created document. To make the selected style the default style, click Change Styles(Change Styles) and select Set as Default(Set as default).

We have set the default Word 2003 style, and now every time you create a new document, the default Word 2003 style with line spacing will be applied 1.0 .

Changing the line spacing of the selected part of the document

If you want to change the line spacing of a selected portion of the document, select the text you want to change. Then on the tab Home(Home) in the section Paragraph(Paragraph) press command Line and Paragraph Spacing(Spacing between lines and paragraphs).

If you select Line Spacing Options(Other line spacing options), then you will have access to even more settings. You will also be shown a small preview window so you can get an idea of ​​what it will all look like.

If necessary, you can revert all changes made. To do this, click Change Styles > Style Set > Reset Document Quick Styles(Edit Styles > Style Sets > Reset Document Styles).

If you upgraded to Word 2007 or 2010 from earlier versions, you will likely want to change the line spacing and set it as the default for all new documents. In addition, in Microsoft Word you can change line spacing for any selected part of the text.

Sometimes it happens that a document is difficult to understand. This may be due to various factors, for example, an unusual font, a small or, on the contrary, too large font size, even line spacing. The latter, by the way, plays a rather significant role and should not be underestimated. Line spacing allows you to adjust the distance between lines in the text, as well as the space added before and after paragraphs. In this article, I would like to consider in more detail the situation in which situations it is appropriate to change such a distance, how to reduce the line spacing in Word or how to increase it, and do this either before starting to enter text or after writing it.

How to change line spacing before you start

I'll probably start by explaining how to adjust the spacing between lines before starting work, when the text has not yet been written. To do this, follow these steps:


Usually, for the most comfortable display of text, select “One and a half” line spacing, however, it is worth taking into account the fact that with such spacing, the text on the page will take up more space, because the lines will expand significantly.

How to change line spacing in written text

Of course, it is not always necessary to make changes before starting work; perhaps there will be a desire or need to do this after writing the text. To begin with, which you have to work with. This can be done in several ways, for example, using the +A hotkeys on the keyboard. Now right-click on the highlighted area and select “Paragraph” from the context menu. Next, repeat the entire algorithm of actions outlined in the previous paragraph.


By the way, there is another way to get into the line spacing settings. On the Word toolbar there is a “Paragraph” block in the “Home” tab. There, find a small “Line Spacing” button, after clicking on it, various variations for quickly changing the interval will appear. You can also click on the line “Other line spacing options” and select other settings.


Thus, following these instructions, you can reduce or increase the line spacing at any time. You don’t need to take any special actions for this, just a few clicks - and the distance between the lines is set to the one with which you are comfortable.

Video to help

This article will tell you how to change line spacing in Word. Although this topic does not raise any questions for experienced users, the article will be very useful for beginners. We'll tell you exactly where the line spacing settings are located. What are the ways to change it, and we’ll also touch a little on the spacing between paragraphs and at the end we’ll dwell on how to change their parameters in two clicks.

Go to the "Paragraph" settings

Line spacing can be changed in several ways. In this article we will look at just three. But before moving directly to the instructions on how to change line spacing in Word, it’s worth telling where exactly these settings are located.

To do this, we need to go to the “Paragraph” settings. This is where the changes we need will take place:

  1. First, open the program itself. How can you create new document, and open an existing one.
  2. Now go to the "Home" tab - find the "Paragraph" area on the toolbar.
  3. You need to click on the small square with an arrow, which is located at the bottom right in the column. This is the first way to get into the “Paragraph” settings.

The second method may seem easier to some. To implement it, you need to right-click in any area of ​​the document - a menu will open. In it you need to select the “Paragraph” line. By the way, in this way you can change the line spacing of 2007 and more, but it will not work for Word 2003.

Go to "Manage Styles"

If you have Word 2003, then do not be afraid, there is a way for you. Just now we will look at it. It is practically no different from the previous one, the only difference is in the location of the necessary points:

  • Having opened the program, pay attention not to the “Paragraph” column, but to the “Styles” (it is located on the very right side of the window). In it you will also need to click on the icon in the lower right corner.
  • Once you do this, a drop-down menu will appear in front of you. In it you need to click on the "Manage Styles" button. This button is located at the very bottom of the window - it is the third in a row.
  • The window we need will open, but the tab will most likely not be the one we need - go to the “Default” tab.

That's all, now let's move on to the instructions on how to change the line spacing in Word.

Set default line spacing

So, following the instructions from the above methods, you will end up in almost the same settings. There will be an area in the window called "Interval". As you might guess, it is with this that we will continue to work. By the way, here you set not only the line spacing in Word by default, but also the spacing between paragraphs.

But first, pay attention to the drop-down list on the right side. Once you expand it, you can use templates, so to speak. And set the interval according to them. If you need to more accurately adjust the space between lines, you can enter the value in the field next to it. On the left side you can set the spacing between paragraphs.

After that, don’t rush to click “OK” and apply the changes. The interval will, of course, change according to the selected values, but is not saved by default. To achieve this, click the button of the same name at the bottom of the window - a message will appear in which you should select: “all documents based on the “Normsl” template.

Change line spacing in two clicks

Now it’s worth talking about how to change the distance between lines quickly, without resorting to long and painstaking settings. It is worth saying right away that this method will not set the default settings, it will just change the spacing in the previously selected part of the text.

We will change the line spacing in Word, released in 2007, but for previous versions it is not a fact that this method will work.

In the "Home" tab, in the "Paragraph" section, you should find the "Spacing" button. You can see its location in the image below.

When you click on the button, a menu will open, in it you can define the parameter you need, and after that the selected part of the text will be transformed.

Despite the enormous popularity text editor from Microsoft, not all users know how to change the line spacing in Word. For many, familiarity with the program ends with the ability to change fonts and align text on the page. At the same time, some institutions have certain rules for working with documents that prescribe specific design parameters. This may include the type of font as well as the line spacing. Changing the character spacing, also called kerning, is commonly used to format text and create a finished, neat appearance.

How to change the line spacing in Word 2003-2016

There are several methods for this:

  • a specialized icon located in the “Home” section. It is possible to change the distance from single to triple, with a preset step;


  • subparagraph "Paragraph".


This special menu can be called up by right-clicking the mouse; this allows you to adjust the distance from one line to another in a wide range of values.

What are the meanings?

This distance is the interval between hypothetical lines that pass through the middle of the letters in the lines and is by default equal to the size of the selected spelling. Typically, the default values ​​in Word 2013 and others are 1, 1.15, 1.5, 2 and 3.


Using the drop-down list in the “Paragraph” section, you can use types of line spacing in the text that differ from the above. Besides standard set you can find it here:

  • Minimum – the distance is not less than single for the selected font set, you can only increase it;
  • Exactly - it is possible to set a parameter. It first equals the size of the font being used. Can be reduced and enlarged;
  • Multiplier – you can set values ​​that differ from the preset one. You can change it in half single increments.


Changing letter spacing

Each character, regardless of the type of writing, has a specific space allocated. Moreover, depending on the spelling, the characters themselves can fill it in different ways. In order to precisely adjust the space occupied, kerning is used. In Word there are three types. In addition to the standard one, there is rarefied and compacted.


You can adjust it in 0.1 point increments. This parameter can be found in 2 options:


  • through the “Font” command group in the “Home” tab.


How to change the distance from one paragraph to another in Word 2007 and other versions?

If you want to make the text aesthetically complete, you should use visual separation between new parts. Clicking on the Enter button, which is usually used for such an operation, will not give the same result, because it will simply move the cursor to the next line.

You can go to the editorial menu in two ways, through:


  • context menu “Paragraph”, called by RMB;
  • through the commands of this special menu in the “Home” section of Word.

In the first and second cases, an additional window will open, where through the “Interval” item you can set the indentation after and before the new part. Regulation occurs in constant steps of six points.

How to change the spacing between lines in Word? As you can see, this is very easy to do; if necessary, you can use our instructions. Good luck!


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