How Many Spaces Do You Put After A Period?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

It’s true that years ago, everyone used two spaces after a period and before the beginning of the next sentence. But these days, the rule is that all types of written material should use

one space

.

When did 2 spaces after a period change?

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) was the only style guide that overtly recommended two spaces after a period, and even that long-time holdout for two spaces changed its guideline to one space in its

2019 update

. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (MLA) waffles.

Is it grammatically correct to put two spaces after a period?

Unless you are typing on an actual typewriter,

you no longer have to put two spaces after a period

. Or a question mark. Or an exclamation point. The rule applies to all end punctuation.

How many spaces should be used after a period AP style?

AP style says: Use

a single space after a period

at the end of a sentence.

How many spaces after a period in Canada?

However, major style books such as the Harvard Style Guide, the Modern Language Association (MLA) style, the Chicago Manual of Style and The Canadian Style, specify that

there should only be a single space after a concluding punctuation mark

. This rule applies to English and French.

What is two spaces after a period called?

(This is called

a mono-spaced font

.) With a typewriter, it makes sense to add an extra space to make it clear that the sentence has ended. Today’s word-processing software makes fonts proportional, though, which is why we only need one space.

How do I put two spaces after a period in Word?

  1. Display the Word Options dialog box. …
  2. Click the Proofing option at the left side of the dialog box.
  3. Click the Settings button. …
  4. Scroll through the options until you find the Spaces Required Between Sentences drop-down list or the Space Between Sentences drop-down list.

Does APA 7 require 2 spaces after a period?

Use one space after a period (or other punctuation mark at the end of a sentence) when writing in APA Style. However,

if your instructor or non-APA publisher has other requirements

(e.g., to use two spaces), follow their specifications. This guidance has been revised from the 6th edition.

Why did we put two spaces after a period?

A double space between the end of one sentence and the beginning of

another helped to create some uniformity on the page

, and made typed pages easier to read.

Are there spaces after ellipses?

Spacing. Whether you put spaces between the dots or not is a matter of style. The Chicago Manual of Style calls for spaces between every ellipsis point. The AP Stylebook says to treat the ellipsis as a three-letter word, with spaces on either side of the ellipsis but

no spaces between the dots

.

Do you put two spaces after a colon?

Just as with the period, it used to be common to put two spaces after a colon, but now most style guides that address the matter (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style)

recommend using only one space after a colon

. …

Do you space after a slash?


If the slash divides two words, there is no space

. If it divides two phrases or sentences (or a single word from a phrase), it requires a space before and after.

How do you double space?

To double-space the whole document,

go to Design > Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double

. Tip: To double-space only part of the document, select the paragraphs you want to change, go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0.

How do I get rid of double spacing?

  1. Select the paragraph you want to change, or press Ctrl+A to select all text.
  2. Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing.
  3. Select the line spacing you want. …
  4. For more exact spacing, select Line Spacing Options, and make changes under Spacing.

When do you use double spacing?

Do not triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs. APA (2020) recommends the use of double spacing for “

the entire paper

, including the title page, abstract, text, headings, block quotations

How do I get rid of double spacing after full stop in Word?

  1. In your document, pull up Find and Replace from the Edit dropdown menu or ⌘+shift+H.
  2. In the “Find” box, type a period and two spaces.
  3. In the “Replace with” box, type a period and one space.
  4. Click “Replace All.”
Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.