# How many spaces between sentences? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703 "2010-09-22T21:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/1 "2010-09-22T21:36:37Z")
This is an extremely pointless poll, but I’m just curious. The current style guides say that only one space is necessary between sentences. However, I’ve been doing two spaces for so long that I don’t think I could adjust to just one. For me, it’s one space between words, two between sentences, carriage return between paragraphs. This is important to me because the second space can vastly change the meaning of a phrase. For instance, take the line from Arthur Conan Doyle: > [@](#): > > “Holmes!” I ejaculated. But does anyone else care? ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/2 "2010-09-22T21:40:02Z")
Two. Out of pure habit that was instilled in me in 9th grade typing class back in the 70s. It even bugs me that our posts get it trimmed down to one space between sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/3 "2010-09-22T21:40:44Z")
That may be the _only_ instance where the number of spaces can change the meaning, and that’s debatable. One space. And I don’t buy “two was drilled into me”; they tried to drill it into me too, but I knew the one true way. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/4 "2010-09-22T21:43:50Z")
I voted for two, but I learned to TYPE, not to keyboard, and back then, In The Age Of Dinosaurs, we had manual and electric typewriters, and all of the style guides insisted on two spaces between sentences. When I went back to college for Office Procedure courses, I’m pretty sure we were still using two spaces between sentences as well. But that was…over 20 years ago. The college was just getting some of those fancy-schmancy word processors into the lab rooms. I didn’t learn to type REALLY fast until I got my own computer and the various Infocom games, like the Zork series. However, I learned a lot of bad habits, too. The Infocom games allowed the user to type in a series of commands, as long as they were separated by periods, but they didn’t require spaces between the sentences, so if I wanted to start off a game with a series of commands, I’d be able to fit more of them on a line if I eliminated the sentence spaces. Also, I didn’t need to capitalize. ---
**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:** [September 22, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/5 "2010-09-22T21:46:14Z")
Just one. But then, I was never \*taught \*to type - I figured it out on my own. I hadn’t heard of the “two space” thing until fairly recently. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/6 "2010-09-22T21:50:13Z")
I was taught two, just as computers and Keyboarding were replacing typewriters and Typing. But sometime in high school or college, I was told that two wasn’t the One True Way anymore, due to the word processing programs with…I forget the term, but a smaller letter space for an i than an m… made two spaces after a period obsolete. So I got used to doing one, instead. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/7 "2010-09-22T21:51:59Z")
> [@Yeticus\_Rex](#): > > Two. Out of pure habit that was instilled in me in 9th grade typing class back in the 70s. It even bugs me that our posts get it trimmed down to one space between sentences. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/8 "2010-09-22T21:55:06Z")
As a professional editor and copyeditor, two spaces bug the crap outta me. And I’m old enough to have learned typing on a typewriter (though I didn’t really learn to type until I started using word processing in college). ---
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/9 "2010-09-22T21:55:22Z")
Two, but only because it was taught to me at an early age before variable width font became standard. I’m working on reducing it down to one, but I’ve only been partially successful. Also, I’m not really sure how the above Conan Doyle quote changes whether it’s one or two spaces. I still parse it as “Holmes!”, I said! no matter which way. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/10 "2010-09-22T22:02:21Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I was taught two, just as computers and Keyboarding were replacing typewriters and Typing. But sometime in high school or college, I was told that two wasn’t the One True Way anymore, due to the word processing programs with…I forget the term, but a smaller letter space for an i than an m… made two spaces after a period obsolete. So I got used to doing one, instead. Proportional fonts, as opposed to monospace. > [@Taenia\_spp](#): > > Also, I’m not really sure how the above Conan Doyle quote changes whether it’s one or two spaces. I still parse it as “Holmes!”, I said! no matter which way. It’s not uncommon for writers to not put “he said” or a variant thereof after a quotation. Another example might be: “How’s your leg?” she asked. “Fine.” I stood up carefully while gritting my teeth. Going back to the OP example, one space means “‘Holmes!’ I said,” but two spaces would mean “‘Holmes!’ I had an orgasm.” My opinion is that such instances are so vanishingly rare, especially once you factor in context, that they’re not worth worrying about. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/11 "2010-09-22T22:11:51Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Proportional fonts, as opposed to monospace. YES! Thank you. Man, that was bugging me! ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/12 "2010-09-22T22:52:40Z")
I couldn’t vote. I use one space for proportional fonts and two spaces in plain text or monospace. Though I admit, two spaces is often reflexive, due to typewriter use. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/13 "2010-09-22T22:54:22Z")
I do two out of habit-- like so many others, I learned to type on typewriters. Even when I began using word processing software, it took another two decades before proportional fonts and high-quality printers that could handle them became standard (or affordable); I was happy to have a $500 daisywheel printer that could give typewriter-quality monospace output. The extra spaces are stripped out automatically by most online forums that I use, it’s stripped out in HTML coding, and I can set my current word processors up to remove them automatically if I ever encounter an editor who wants single spaces. I don’t need to ever change my typing habits, even if space requirements do change, so I doubt I’ll ever be a true convert. The odd thing is that, despite hearing so often that modern editors _demand_ for single spaces, I’ve yet to actually run into one who does, at least in academia. I’ve preparing papers for myself and a number of colleagues for journal publication for a few years now, and have never had it mentioned (and Lord knows I’ve had plenty of other nitpicky things brought up). I think it’s kind of similar to how I _still_ manually type “html://” in front of URLs, even though browsers automatically add it for you… I had to do it for years, so it just became ingrained habit. (I think using my iPhone for web access is finally killing it, though, since the colon and slash aren’t on the main keyboard.) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/14 "2010-09-22T22:58:42Z")
One. Anyone who grew up typing on a computer rather than a typewriter should never have been taught to leave two spaces in the first place, yet there are _teenagers_ who do it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/15 "2010-09-22T23:02:28Z")
Was taught two when I learned to type, and did it that way for a couple of decades; but changed to one when I went into publishing, and have been doing it _that_ way for a couple of decades. Damn, I’m old. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/16 "2010-09-22T23:10:04Z")
I am saddened to see that some of you crazy people still use two spaces. Then again, I work in a law firm and still see people type that way all the time in correspondence. My first formal typing class would have come on a computer back in…1990, in high school. I remember being told then that the two space thing was an issue of the past. YOU PEOPLE NEED TO STOP LIVING IN THE PAST! Ahem. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/17 "2010-09-22T23:20:32Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > One. Anyone who grew up typing on a computer rather than a typewriter should never have been taught to leave two spaces in the first place. What if you grew up typing on computers and using printers that had monospace fonts like a typewriter? ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/18 "2010-09-23T00:21:32Z")
**People, it’s ONE.** Seriously. I am trained in typography. Old-timers (myself included) were taught two spaces because of the nature of monospaced letters on a typewriter. Now that most of us use word processors that use glyphs of varying width, the extra space isn’t necessary to easily notice the end of a sentence. Or, if you don’t trust me, listen to what the Chicago Manual of Style [says](http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/CMS_FAQ/OneSpaceorTwo/OneSpaceorTwo03.html). _This is one of my typography pet peeves. Don’t get me started on apostrophes and foot marks._ ---
**Author:** ![TomGorstaad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@TomGorstaad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomGorstaad)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/19 "2010-09-23T00:57:00Z")
I was taught two, but I thought it was silly, even then. So now I’m quite happy with just the one. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703/20 "2010-09-23T01:30:00Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > **People, it’s ONE.** > > Seriously. I am trained in typography. Old-timers (myself included) were taught two spaces because of the nature of monospaced letters on a typewriter. Now that most of us use word processors that use glyphs of varying width, the extra space isn’t necessary to easily notice the end of a sentence. What I don’t understand is, why do you care? Your typesetting software should be able to handle one or two spaces and render the text the same either way. (If it can’t, get better software.) I always use two because where it does matter, I want two for readability. (Well, there’s that ingrained two-spaces-after-a-period reflex too.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-spaces-between-sentences/554703.md?page=2)