# Are you a single, or two-spacer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2018, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835 "2018-05-09T00:25:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/81 "2018-05-09T17:10:50Z")
Single space. I learned double spacing in high school on a typewriter, but have gladly switch to single spacing. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/82 "2018-05-09T17:16:47Z")
APA style says to use double space after a sentence. AP style says single space. I did both in college – I used single space if I was doing any news writing (because space on a newspaper is a premium) but I would double space anywhere else. Double space just looks right to me and I am happily passing it on to my kids. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/83 "2018-05-09T17:21:11Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > I write a lot for work. I’m a die hard double-spacer. And I use semicolons on long-running inclusive sentences. And I use the Oxford comma. You’re doing everything right! 🙂 Seriously, the two-space thing is something I could hardly care less about, but by force of long habit I do tend to two-space even when writing in Word with proportionally spaced fonts. You really do need to do it with monospaced fonts and I find it easier just to be consistent. > [@pulykamell](#): > > … With modern word processing and computers, this is unnecessary, as letter widths and spacing are proportional and a space after a period is enough to separate the sentences. And, as I said before, in many cases, double spaces after a period are ignored by software. Like here, for instance. \<-Right there I left ten spaces. It renders as one. Or: > > Following this is one space. One space. > Following this is two spaces. Two spaces. > Following this is six spaces. Six spaces. > Following this is eighteen spaces. Eighteen spaces. > > They all render as one, unless you use the [noparse] > > ```auto > > ``` > > tag[/noparse]. In which case, it goes into a monospaced font, anyway. Or you can use a formatting tag like “ ”. HTML also doesn’t let you insert multiple blank lines, which it collapses into one. So what? Some geek’s arbitrary decision on HTML standards is hardly the authoritative last word on optimum typography. And that HTML behavior is often a PITA. The fact that typographical practice is to use one space with typical typographical proportional fonts is a lot more persuasive. But it’s a trivial matter of style, like whether paragraphs should be denoted by a blank line or by an indent (or, heaven help us, by both!). Or how and when to hyphenate words across line breaks. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/84 "2018-05-09T17:30:42Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > So what? Some geek’s arbitrary decision on HTML standards is hardly the authoritative last word on optimum typography. That actually wasn’t my point. I was wondering how many people realize that their two spaces are being turned into one, anyway, and how many even notice. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/85 "2018-05-09T17:30:51Z")
Two spaces after the period and colon. One space after comma or semi-colon. Spaces around en dash or em dash, but not around hyphens. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/86 "2018-05-09T17:35:10Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > APA style says to use double space after a sentence. That is not what my style guide says, although it’s the Fourth Edition from the 90s. My rule 4.11 says: > [@Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association](#): > > 4.11 Spacing and Punctuation > > Space once after all punctuation as follows: > > - after commas, colons, and semicolons > - after punctuation marks at the ends of sentences > - after periods that separate parts of a reference citation > - after the periods of the initials in personal names Reading farther down, I do not see anything about spacing twice after any punctuation, just about not spacing after periods in an abbreviation.’ ETA: Actually, the fact that I’m using the Fourth Edition is the rub. The sixth edition changed it to two spaces. All other editions had one. I’m surprised. I would have guessed, if anything, earlier editions advocated for two and then switched to one, not the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/87 "2018-05-09T17:43:59Z")
And, of course, the decision by the APA to go to two spaces (at least in draft manuscripts) was met with a good bit [of controversy](http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/07/on-two-spaces-following-a-period.html) (read the comments.) ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/88 "2018-05-09T17:48:39Z")
Two spaces 'till I die, baby! And I like my commas, too. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/89 "2018-05-09T18:04:10Z")
One space. Join the 21st century (or even the late 20th) people! Do you all still double pump the gas pedal before you start your cars? Embrace change. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/90 "2018-05-09T18:31:56Z")
As a former professional writer, I always use a single space because the Associated Press and Chicago Manual of Style both said so (at least in 2003, when I freelanced for a living). Now that I’m a product manager, anytime someone asks me to look at their work, I compulsively reduce the double spaces between sentence to one if they’re there. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/91 "2018-05-09T19:05:18Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > You should not be using a double-space after a period because your computer already adds an extra space. What does this even mean? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/92 "2018-05-09T19:45:02Z")
Spaces are cheap, I always use 2 between sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/93 "2018-05-09T19:49:57Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > This is a volatile debate, and I’m not surprised to see that the one-spacers opened hostilities. You guys really seem mad at us two-spacers in these debates. > > I work for a government agency that uses monospaced Times New Roman font. But the official policy is: two spaces after periods. > > In every online discussion of this topic, one-spacers emphasize that “you can’t even tell” the difference between one space and two in a modern monospaced font. But you know what? Every single time we accidentally single-space after a period, \*\*somebody \*\*spots it immediately. People will call and say “Hey, missed a space on page 71” and they’re always correct. So it IS visible. > > I am a speed-reader when I concentrate, but I usually don’t bother because my regular reading speed is faster than that of anyone else I’ve met. In either method, I can read text with single spaces after periods, but it _feels_ dense and mildly annoying. Even on this forum. The extra white space serves a useful purpose. > > My side may lose this battle ultimately, and the valuable extra whitespace may go away, because of the widespread conviction that making it easier for ONE person to type ONCE trumps making it easier for **EVERY person** to read ever again. It’s the idea that the reader doesn’t matter – the same impulse behind using undefined acronyms and making up your own way to spell things. Bolding mine. So is the issue that “somebody” notices, which implies a small number of people, maybe even one, or that “EVERY person” notices, which implies, well, every single person? There seems to be a bit of a disconnect here. Again, I’ll say I don’t notice, so I certainly don’t consider the extra white space to be “valuable” in any way. Speaking only for myself, I would not be one of those people who would call up and complain. (Even if I noticed, I wouldn’t be one of those people because I don’t care one way or the other how many spaces someone else uses, given that, you know, I don’t notice.) Just that if your argument is based on some kind of universal, that EVERYBODY benefits if we all would just use two spaces after a period, I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong :). ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/94 "2018-05-09T19:50:05Z")
Double space after punctuation. J Easterbrook of the 7th Cir, has major issues with that. Claims the white space is distracting. I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/95 "2018-05-09T20:50:24Z")
I’m a freelancer who gets paid by the word. Ain’t no money in extra spaces. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/96 "2018-05-09T21:04:44Z")
> [@BlueInfinity](#): > > Two spaces. Just one looks odd to me. All the books, magazines, and newspapers you’ve read in your entire life have looked odd to you? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/97 "2018-05-09T21:09:11Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > APA style says to use double space after a sentence. > AP style says single space. > > I did both in college – I used single space if I was doing any news writing (because space on a newspaper is a premium) but I would double space anywhere else. Double space just looks right to me and I am happily passing it on to my kids. APA style is for submissions typed on a typewriter in monospaced font. Those double spaces don’t show up in the publication. If you’re using monospaced fonts everywhere, then double space. If you’re using normal proportional fonts, then no, double space does not look right to you. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/98 "2018-05-09T21:16:01Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > APA style is for submissions typed on a typewriter in monospaced font. It does say “manuscript draft” in the Sixth Edition (or at least it says so on the APA’s blog post about the change, although a commenter states that no such distinction is made in the text of the Sixth Edition itself), but is it standard to submit submissions drafted out on a typewriter or in Courier (or similar monospaced font)? I actually don’t know, but that’s why I was surprised that this is something that crept into the sixth edition, published 2009. I could understand it being there in older editions, where draft manuscripts were routinely typed, but these days? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/99 "2018-05-09T21:17:08Z")
I’m a double spacer and am both willing to argue the point, and _have_ argued the point. (I’ve written a book, and asked a friend to proofread it, and she promptly took out all the double-spaces. I promptly fired her.) And no, the supposed arguments in favor of single-spacing being better are all bullcrap, and _obviously_ so, as can be determined by casually examining the fonts in question. They are literally founded on lies. Single-space may be ‘correct’ due to fiat, but it’s certainly got nothing to do with how the actual fonts look. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835/100 "2018-05-09T21:22:47Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I’m a double spacer and am both willing to argue the point, and _have_ argued the point. (I’ve written a book, and asked a friend to proofread it, and she promptly took out all the double-spaces. I promptly fired her.) > > And no, the supposed arguments in favor of single-spacing being better are all bullcrap, and _obviously_ so, as can be determined by casually examining the fonts in question. They are literally founded on lies. Single-space may be ‘correct’ due to fiat, but it’s certainly got nothing to do with how the actual fonts look. I honestly don’t think it really makes much of a difference either way, and I’m willing to bet the double spacers don’t notice that most of what they read does not have two spaces after a sentence terminating period. Similarly, unless the spaces are exaggerated, I doubt that most people notice when there’s two spaces instead of one at the end of a sentence. (Although I have seen some examples where it drives me absolutely batty.) The thing is, the period already carries so much space with it, that a period followed by a space already looks like two spaces and visually breaks up the line quite fine. I think it’s aesthetically more pleasing with a single word space or a sentence space (which is slightly bigger than a word space, but not as big as two spaces. Maybe 1 1/2 word spaces.) And type setters seem to agree ([feel free to read this Wikipedia article which is pretty informative and neutral.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentence_spacing)) That said, it may be because that’s what they’re used to. But, then again, I’m a stickler about not using hyphens when an en dash or em dash is appropriate. (For example, in denoting ranges, I always use an en dash, not a simple hyphen.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-single-or-two-spacer/813835.md?page=6)