Should I use double spacing in APA?

Line Spacing

Double space between all lines of text, including between regular text and block quotations, between paragraphs, and between a heading and subsequent text. Use Microsoft Word's double-space line feature rather than manually created line spacing. Do not add additional space above or below the lines of text. 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). Exceptions may include the table body and figure image, footnotes, and displayed equations (APA, 2020, Section 2.21).

Spacing Between Sentences

APA 7 requires only one space between sentences after a period or other ending punctuation (APA, 2020, Section 6.1).

Additional Resources: 

• For more details on Microsoft Word's double-spacing functions or other spacing options, see the Academic Skill Center's Microsoft Word webpage.

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