How to change line spacing in Word

Method #1 - lines

This method of changing the line spacing is available in MS Word 2003-2021. In an empty document, the line spacing is set in the "Home" tab, in the "Paragraph" section, using the "Spacing" button on the toolbar. Available values are 1.0, 1.15, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0.

In the "More line spacing options..." window, you can set the "Before" and "After" spacing, and choose the line spacing multiplier: single, 1.5 lines, double, etc. After making changes, remember to save the settings.

To change the spacing for specific parts of the text, you need to:

1. Open the document with the text.
2. Select one or more paragraphs by holding down the left mouse button.
3. If you want to select the entire text, press the "Ctrl + A" key combination.
4. Go to the "Home" tab, click on the "Spacing" button, and choose a value from the options provided.
5. If necessary, go to "More line spacing options..." and make changes in the "Spacing" section.
6. Save the changes by clicking the "OK" button.

Method #2 - paragraphs

In some cases, it may be necessary to change the spacing between lines and paragraphs. This technique is often used to highlight a specific section of text without using graphic elements or external pointers.

The spacing is done as follows:

1. Find the desired part of the text in the document. Identify one paragraph before and one paragraph after the selected part.
2. Select the top and bottom paragraphs using the left mouse button.
3. Go to the "Home -> Spacing" tab and choose the line spacing.
4. Select the middle paragraph. Click on "Spacing" and go to "More line spacing options...".
5. In the "Spacing" section, enter the desired values in points for the "Before" and "After" fields.
6. Save the changes.

In the above case, you can use hotkeys to set the spacing. For example, by selecting the first and third paragraphs, you can press the combination "Ctrl+1", "Ctrl+2", or "Ctrl+5", which corresponds to single, double, and one-and-a-half spacing.

Method #3 - quick styles

Quick styles are used when you need to quickly set different spacing values for lines, paragraphs, and headings. This approach significantly simplifies work with large documents.

To apply quick styles, you need to:

1. Select the part of the text with the mouse for which you want to change the spacing.
2. Go to the "Home" tab, in the "Styles" section on the toolbar. Click the small arrow button at a 45° angle or press the "Alt + Ctrl + Shift + S" key combination.
3. Select an available style from the list provided. The selected text will automatically change.
4. Close the Styles window.

For example, let's look at an example for the text you can see in the image above. The text has three paragraphs and one heading. Select the first paragraph and apply a light emphasis. Then, select the heading and apply the "Heading 1" style. The remaining text can be left unchanged.

If desired, you can create your own style by clicking the downward arrow in the "Styles" section, selecting "Create a Style". Enter a style name and click "Modify". Use the "Styles", "Based on" style, and "Next paragraph style" fields to set the desired parameters. In the formatting section, you can select the font type and size. The changes will be displayed in the preview window. Finally, click the "OK" button.

These are all the available tools for changing line spacing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.