To change space between words in Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select the text, open Home > Font dialog box launcher > Advanced, then choose Expanded or Condensed under Spacing. Enter an adjustment in By and select OK. This changes spacing between letters as well as words, so select only the space character when you want to adjust one gap.
For uneven gaps, choose the adjustment that matches the cause: paragraph alignment, extra characters, or formatting. The character-spacing procedure applies to the Windows editions above; the Mac, web, and mobile alternatives below identify their own controls.
The short version
- Wider or narrower text: Use Expanded or Condensed spacing on selected text in Word for Windows.
- One word gap: Select only its space character before changing the spacing.
- Stretched paragraphs: Left alignment removes the stretching caused by justification.
- Repeated spaces: Replace two spaces with one, reviewing the replacements before changing everything.
- Reading comfort: Reading-view spacing controls change the reading presentation rather than set printed word gaps.
| Method | When to choose it |
|---|---|
| Expand or condense character spacing | Widen or tighten selected text on Windows |
| Format an individual space | Change one word gap on Windows |
| Scale text horizontally | Change text proportions, including letter shapes |
| Alignment shortcuts | Remove or introduce justification on desktop or web |
| Mac ribbon alignment | Choose paragraph alignment through the ribbon |
| Mobile alignment | Adjust paragraphs on iPhone, iPad, or Android |
| Command search | Find alignment controls in Microsoft 365 on Windows |
| Replace repeated spaces | Remove extra space characters on desktop or web |
| Replace special characters | Find tabs, nonbreaking spaces, or manual breaks on Mac |
| Show hidden characters | Identify what creates a gap on desktop |
| Reset manual character formatting | Remove manually applied spacing on Windows |
| Clear formatting through the ribbon | Reset unwanted formatting along with spacing |
| Copy formatting | Match another passage on Windows |
| Styles and templates | Reuse formatting consistently on Windows |
| Automatic editing adjustments | Control space insertion and removal on Windows |
| Paste formatting choices | Discard or adapt imported formatting on Windows |
| Automatic hyphenation | Improve wrapping in justified desktop text |
| Manual hyphenation | Choose where words can wrap on desktop |
| Tab stop dialog | Set or remove tab stops on desktop |
| Ruler tab stops | Place or move tab stops visually on desktop |
| Windows nonbreaking space | Keep adjacent words on the same line |
| Mac nonbreaking space | Keep adjacent words together with a shortcut |
| Windows and iPad reading controls | Increase spacing in the reading presentation |
| Mac reading controls | Increase reading spacing through Learning Tools |
| Web reading controls | Reduce crowding in Immersive Reader |
| Desktop dictation | Insert spaces or align left in Microsoft 365 |
| Web dictation | Insert spaces by voice when Dictate is available |
| Windows Voice access | Remove all whitespace from selected text |
| Column width | Adjust wrapping in narrow justified columns on Windows |
Make selected text wider or tighter
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select the text you want to adjust. Open Home, select the Font dialog box launcher, and choose Advanced. Under Spacing, choose Expanded to increase spacing or Condensed to reduce it.
Enter the adjustment in By, then select OK. Start with a small adjustment and check the selected text before increasing it. Because this setting changes character spacing throughout the selection, the letters move farther apart or closer together too.
To change just one gap, select only the space between the two words and repeat those steps. This applies character formatting to the space itself, so keep both neighboring letters outside the selection.
Fix stretched gaps caused by justification
Justification distributes spacing to align both margins, which can create wide word gaps. In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024, click in the paragraph or select several paragraphs, then press Ctrl + L on Windows or Command + L on Mac to remove that stretching. To justify the paragraph instead, press Ctrl + J on Windows or Command + J on Mac.
Word for the web supports Ctrl + L and Ctrl + J while focus is in the document. In the Mac editions above, you can also click in the paragraph and select Home > Paragraph > Align Text Left or Justify Text. Choose Center Text or Align Text Right if you want another non-justified alignment.
In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, you can find alignment controls through command search. Select the paragraph, press Alt + Q to focus Search, enter the desired alignment action, browse results with Down Arrow, and press Enter on the matching command. Some versions call this field Tell Me, and results vary by version.
In the current Word apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android, place the cursor in the paragraph, open Home, and choose Align left or Justify. With VoiceOver on iOS, open Show ribbon and navigate to the alignment button. With TalkBack on Android, open More options, navigate to the alignment switch, and double-tap to activate it.
Remove extra spaces and unwanted characters
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows and Mac, select Show/Hide, the paragraph-mark button, to reveal spaces, tabs, and paragraph marks. Inspect the gap, then select unwanted characters and delete them or replace them with a single space. Show/Hide changes only their visibility.
For repeated spaces in those desktop editions, open Home > Editing > Replace on Windows, or open the search magnifying glass and select Find and replace on Mac. In Word for the web, select Home > Find > Replace, or press Ctrl + H. Enter two literal spaces in Find what by pressing Spacebar twice, then enter one space in Replace with.
Select Find Next, then Replace to review each change, or choose Replace All to replace all matches. Repeat if longer runs of spaces remain. Reversing the replacement adds space characters, but neither direction fixes gaps caused only by formatting or justification.
For tabs, nonbreaking spaces, or manual breaks in current desktop Word for Mac, select View > Navigation Pane. Open the magnifying glass, then select Settings > Advanced Find & Replace > Replace. Focus Find What and use Special to choose the character to locate.
In Replace with, enter a regular space or choose the required replacement through Special. Use Find Next and Replace to review each occurrence before changing it. Word for the web supports only basic replacement.
Reset unwanted spacing formatting
If gaps remain after you remove extra characters, check the formatting. In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select the affected text and press Ctrl + Spacebar to remove manual character formatting. This also resets other manual character formatting, while spacing defined by the underlying style may remain.
For a broader reset, select the text, then choose Home > Font > Clear All Formatting in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac, or Word 2024 on Windows. In Word for the web, select Home > Clear Formatting; open More (...) if the command is under that menu. This restores default formatting and removes unrelated formatting such as bold or color.
To copy satisfactory formatting in Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select the source passage. Choose Home > Clipboard > Format Painter, then drag over the text you want to repair. Include the source paragraph mark when copying paragraph alignment, and remember that this copies the full formatting combination rather than spacing alone.
Adjust gaps made by tabs
If Show/Hide reveals a tab where you want an ordinary word gap, select the tab and replace it with one space. Keep the tab when it serves an intentional alignment purpose, then adjust its stop instead.
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select Home > Paragraph dialog box launcher > Tabs. Set Tab stop position and Alignment, select Set, then select OK. To remove a custom stop, select it and choose Clear; Clear All removes all custom stops.
In those editions on Mac, select Format > Tabs, enter the position under Tab stops, choose Alignment, select the add-tab-stop button, and select OK. Use the remove-tab-stop button or Clear All to remove stops. Word for the web preserves tabs but cannot set or remove tab stops.
For a visual alternative in those desktop editions, select View > Ruler. Select the tab selector at the ruler's left end until the desired tab type appears, then click the horizontal ruler to place the stop. Drag an existing stop to reposition it, or drag it off the ruler to remove it.
Improve spacing in justified columns
If you want to keep justification, hyphenation changes line wrapping and may reduce large gaps. In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select Layout > Hyphenation > Automatic. On Mac, select Tools > Hyphenation, select Automatically hyphenate document, and adjust the available hyphenation options.
To choose hyphenation points yourself in those Windows editions, select Layout > Hyphenation > Manual. In Manual Hyphenation, choose a proposed location and select Yes. On Mac, select the relevant text, open Tools > Hyphenation > Manual, and choose the position under Hyphenate at. The spacing benefit depends on how your text wraps.
For narrow justified columns in Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select Layout > Columns > More Columns, adjust Width and spacing, and confirm the layout. If you need to create two columns in Word, settle that layout before adjusting individual gaps. Column width affects wrapping rather than setting space-character width, and Word for the web cannot create or resize newsletter columns.
Reuse the spacing you want
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, format an example paragraph as desired. Under Home > Styles, right-click its style and select Update [Style Name] to Match Selection, using the name of the style you are changing. This saves the paragraph's formatting as part of that style.
To create a separate style, right-click the formatted text and select Styles > Create a Style. Name it and select OK. For reuse in new documents, right-click the style in the gallery, select Modify, choose New documents based on this template, and select OK.
Increase spacing for reading
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, or Word for iPad, select View > Immersive Reader > Text Spacing. Select Text Spacing again to reverse the effect. This changes the reading presentation rather than setting printed word gaps.
For Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Mac, Microsoft gives the path View > Learning Tools > Text Spacing. This increases spacing between words, characters, and lines in the reading experience. In Word for the web, open View > Immersive Reader, select Text Options using the two-As icon, and turn on Increase Spacing. Turn that toggle off to restore the narrower presentation.
If you want more vertical distance between lines in the document, double space your Word document instead. Line and paragraph spacing control vertical distance, while character spacing and alignment address horizontal spacing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep two words together on the same line?
Yes, replace their ordinary space with a nonbreaking space. In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, select the existing space and press Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar, or choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols > Special Characters > Nonbreaking Space > Insert > Close. In those editions on Mac, select the existing space and press Option + Spacebar. Avoid leaving both spaces in place; a nonbreaking space prevents a line break rather than setting a numeric gap.
Does kerning adjust the space between words?
Kerning adjusts letter pairs, so it is not a direct word-spacing setting. To adjust one word gap in Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, apply character spacing to the selected space character.
What is the difference between Scale and Spacing in Word?
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, Scale changes horizontal proportions, including letter shapes, while Spacing adjusts character spacing. Select the text, open Home > Font dialog box launcher > Advanced, enter a percentage in Scale, and select OK. Values above 100% widen the selection, while values below 100% compress it.
How can I prevent pasted text from bringing unwanted spacing formatting?
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, open Paste Options after pasting and choose Keep Text Only to discard source formatting. Choose Merge Formatting to adapt the pasted formatting to the destination instead. Neither choice removes extra literal space characters.
Can I stop Word from automatically adding or removing spaces while editing?
In Word for Microsoft 365 or Word 2024 on Windows, open File > Options > Advanced. Under Cut, copy, and paste, select Use smart cut and paste, then select Settings. Uncheck Adjust sentence and word spacing automatically and confirm with OK; check the same option to enable automatic adjustments. This controls editing behavior, not the width of existing spaces.
Can I insert a space or change alignment with desktop dictation?
In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac, sign in with your subscription, connect a microphone, ensure you have an internet connection, and select Home > Dictate. Position the cursor where needed and say insert space, or say align left to change the current paragraph's alignment. These English commands do not specify a numeric word-spacing amount.
Can I dictate spaces in Word for the web?
Yes, when Dictate is available to your signed-in account and you have a microphone and internet connection. Open the document, place the cursor where you want the space, select Home > Dictate, and say insert space. Select Dictate again when finished.
Can Windows Voice access remove spaces from text in Word?
With Windows 11 Voice access configured and listening, select editable text in Word or dictate the text, then say No space that. This English command removes all whitespace from the selection or last dictated text. Use it to join text such as a username, rather than merely narrowing word gaps.