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.
Is double spacing after a period wrong?
Typing two spaces
after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong
. … Typing two spaces after a period is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong.” So began former Slate writer Farhad Manjoo’s infamous 2011 tirade.
How many spaces should you leave after a period?
Leave
one space after
a period or other concluding punctuation mark, unless your instructor prefers two spaces. Whichever spacing you choose, be sure to use it consistently throughout your paper.
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.
When did it change from two spaces to one space after a period?
In
1989
, Desktop Publishing by Design stated that “typesetting requires only one space after periods, question marks, exclamation points, and colons”, and identified single sentence spacing as a typographic convention.
Does APA 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.
How many times should you space after a comma?
With a computer, use only
one space following periods
, commas, semicolons, colons, exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks. The space needed after these punctuation marks is proportioned automatically.
How many spaces is needed before and after inserting a dash?
(You can also have a space after the hyphen, but then you’ll have to delete
two spaces
. You can also type two hyphens. It does not matter as long as the sequence begins with space and hyphen.) Alternatively, insert en-dash from the Insert>Symbol menu.
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
. …
When should you double space?
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, reference list, table and figure notes, and appendices” (p. 45).
Are there two spaces after a period in MLA?
Punctuation Spacing – Leave one space after a period or other concluding punctuation mark,
unless your instructor prefers two spaces
. View sample papers from the MLA website.
Do you put two spaces between sentences?
Always put exactly one space between sentences
. Or more generally: put exactly one space after any punctuation. Here’s a paragraph with one space between sentences: I know that many people were taught to put two spaces between sentences.
How many spaces are between sentences?
The answer is one. Putting
two spaces
between sentences, as many people learned to do in school — and are still learning — thanks to early monospaced typewriters “is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong,” according to Slate’s technology columnist, Farhad Manjoo — and every major style guide.
Are there spaces after ellipses?
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
.
How do you get two spaces after a period in Word?
- Display the Word Options dialog box. …
- Click the Proofing option at the left side of the dialog box.
- Click the Settings button. …
- Scroll through the options until you find the Spaces Required Between Sentences drop-down list or the Space Between Sentences drop-down list.
Is it necessary to put space after comma?
A comma in writing is like a pause inside a sentence when speaking. … Commas have no meaning, but they help us to see the structure and therefore the meaning of the sentence.
Put a space after a comma
. Do not put a space before a comma.
