In order to improve readability, single and double spacing add a certain amount of vertical distance - in the form of white space - between lines of text, an aspect of typography known as “leading” (pronounced as if it were spelled “ledding”). However, that formulation leaves out one crucial factor. (As a reminder, there are 72 points to an inch thus, 12 points is 1/6 of an inch and 24 points is 1/3 of an inch.) ![]() If that were so, single-spacing with any 12-point font would produce lines of text that are 12 points in height and double-spacing would produce lines of text that are 24 points in height. Many people probably assume that the “simple” line-spacing options - single and double spacing - merely reflect multiples of the point size of the font they are using. The Role of “Leading” in Single and Double Spacing Before exploring the other choices, it’s worth discussing single and double spacing, which are not - contrary to what you might think - entirely self-explanatory. ![]() Line spacing options in Word include conventional single and double spacing, plus a few additional choices. Line spacing affects the distance between lines of text within a paragraph, and paragraph spacing affects the distance (i.e., the white space) between paragraphs. Both are attributes of paragraph formatting that can be configured via the Paragraph dialog, but they work differently. In Word, there are two types of spacing: line spacing and paragraph spacing. ![]() Understanding line and paragraph spacing in Word
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