# MS Word question - how to get underscores to line up
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 29, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051 "2005-09-29T16:57:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@billfritter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfritter)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051/1 "2005-09-29T16:57:45Z")
I have a coninuing problem with Word trying to create forms.
Often I want to duplicate forms but have some blanks filled in with the word processor and some by hand.
So it should look like this:
**CITY: [sup]_\_\_Springfield_[/sup]**
How do I get blank spaces to be underlined the same as text?
If I use the underline characters for the empty part and unerline font option for the text, I get things that look like this:
**CITY: \_\_\__[sup]Springfield[/sup]_**
If I just use regular spaces and try to underline them, the trailing ones don’t get underlined at all, like this:
**CITY: [sup]_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Springfield_[/sup]**
What’s the trick to doing this?
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2005, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051/2 "2005-09-29T17:21:08Z")
In Windows 97, using the non-breaking space (ctl-shift-space) as the last character of your field forces the preceding spaces to be underlined. Give that a try.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051/3 "2005-09-29T17:27:25Z")
Even better: Use Tabs. There’s a setting in tabs that allow you select the character of the tab. If you set it to underscores, it will draw a line until the next tab stop.
Another advantage is that if you have to create multiple lines, you can line them all up exactly without having to add or remove underscores.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051/4 "2005-09-29T17:32:30Z")
I reread. The full answer is to use the tab and underline:
City: \Springfield\\
Underline the city name, then put a space after it (underlined, too). Set the tabs so the leader character is an underscore. (Under “Format,” “Tabs,” “Leader”)
Works perfectly.
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### Author:  [@billfritter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfritter)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051/5 "2005-09-29T18:07:34Z")
Thanks. That works. I knew there was a way, because I’d done it before via beginner’s luck but never could repeat it.
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### Author:  [@billfritter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfritter)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-question-how-to-get-underscores-to-line-up/324051/6 "2005-09-29T18:50:01Z")
Thanks also for " (ctl-shift-space) "
It turns out that’s needed whenever a tab is too many spaces or doesn’t end at the exact right point.