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There are two different problems people call “extra space” in Microsoft Word:
- Actual spaces: you typed two or more spacebar characters between words.
- Visual gaps: Word is spreading words apart because the paragraph is justified, or because character spacing has been changed.
Use the first method when you want to clean the document’s text. Use the other methods when the text contains normal single spaces but looks too spread out.
1. Replace two spaces with one
This is the most reliable method for removing repeated spaces from the document itself.
- Open the document in Word for Windows.
- Go to Home > Editing > Replace, or press Ctrl+H.
- In Find what, press the spacebar twice.
- In Replace with, press the spacebar once.
- Select Replace All.
Word replaces every exact occurrence of two consecutive spaces with one. If some text contains three or more spaces, repeat the replacement until Word reports that there are no more matches. A run of three spaces can become two on the first pass and one on the second.
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For a document that needs careful review, use Replace instead of Replace All. This lets you inspect each match before changing it. The Find and Replace controls also include Find Next.
Microsoft’s Find and Replace instructions document these controls and the Ctrl+H shortcut.
2. Use Advanced Find and Replace for special cases
Basic replacement is enough for ordinary double spaces. Advanced Find and Replace is useful when the unwanted gap is connected to special characters or formatting—for example, text copied from another document with inconsistent formatting.
- Select View > Navigation Pane.
- Select the magnifying glass.
- Open Settings, then choose Advanced Find & Replace.
- In the expanded dialog, select Replace.
- Enter the text or character you want to find and the replacement text.
- If the expanded controls are not visible, select the arrow at the bottom of the dialog.
The expanded dialog exposes Special, Format, and the Use wildcards check box. Use Special when the target is a special Word character rather than an ordinary typed space. Use Format to find text with a particular font, style, or other formatting, then choose Find Next, Find All, or a replacement command.
Be cautious with wildcard recipes copied from the internet. Word’s wildcard behavior can vary by search pattern and version, and Microsoft’s cited instructions do not specify a universal “remove every run of whitespace” pattern. Test a wildcard search on a copy of the document before replacing anything.
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See Microsoft’s Advanced Find and Replace guidance for the current interface.
3. Condense the character spacing
Use this when the words contain normal spaces but the entire line looks too loose. It changes the spacing between all selected characters; it does not delete space characters.
- Select the affected text.
- Go to Home.
- Select the Font dialog box launcher—the small arrow in the Font group.
- Open the Advanced tab.
- Under Spacing, choose Condensed.
- Enter a small value in By, then select OK.
Start with a modest amount. Condensing affects letters, punctuation, and spaces evenly, so an aggressive setting can make the type look cramped. Expanded does the opposite. Kerning adjusts selected character pairs and is not a general solution for multiple spaces between words.
This Font dialog method is available in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. It changes appearance only: copying the text elsewhere can still carry the original repeated spaces.
4. Reduce horizontal text scaling
Horizontal scaling is another layout adjustment for text that is too wide. It is not a text-cleaning tool.
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- Select the text.
- Open Home > Font dialog box launcher > Advanced.
- Find Scale.
- Enter a percentage below 100%, such as 95%.
- Select OK and check the result.
A value below 100% compresses the characters horizontally; a value above 100% stretches them. Unlike Find and Replace, this does not remove extra spaces between words. It changes the width and shape of the characters, and using a very low percentage can visibly distort the typeface.
Use scaling for a heading, table cell, or short line that barely misses its available width—not as a substitute for cleaning repeated spaces.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems5. Turn off justification when word gaps are stretched
If the gaps appear mainly on lines across the page, the paragraph may be justified. Justified alignment keeps both the left and right edges straight by adding space between words.
- Click in the affected paragraph, or select several paragraphs.
- On the Home tab, select Align Left.
Keyboard shortcuts are:
| Action | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Align left | Ctrl+L | Command+L |
| Justify | Ctrl+J | Command+J |
Left alignment gives the paragraph a ragged right edge and normally removes the large visual gaps created by justification. It does not remove two or more actual space characters. If the gaps remain when the paragraph is left-aligned, run the two-spaces-to-one replacement.
What will not remove spaces between words?
Several Word settings affect lines or paragraphs rather than word spacing:
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- Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing changes vertical space between lines.
- Paragraph > Before and After change space around paragraphs.
- Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style affects paragraph spacing.
- Design > Paragraph Spacing > No Paragraph Space changes paragraph and line spacing; it does not remove repeated spaces typed between words.
These settings are appropriate when the problem is vertical spacing, not when a sentence contains multiple spacebar characters.
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| What you see | Best method | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Two or more spaces were typed between words | Replace | Deletes the extra space characters |
| Special characters or formatting are involved | Advanced Find and Replace | Finds a defined character or formatting condition |
| All selected characters look too far apart | Condensed spacing | Changes visual character spacing |
| A line or heading is slightly too wide | Scale below 100% | Compresses character width |
| Word gaps expand across justified lines | Align Left | Stops justification from stretching word gaps |
For a document being submitted or shared, start with Replace. Formatting adjustments can make a page look better, but they leave the underlying text unchanged.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
How do I remove multiple spaces between words in Word?
Press Ctrl+H, enter two spaces in Find what, enter one space in Replace with, and select Replace All. Repeat the operation if the document contains runs of three or more spaces.
Why does Word show huge spaces between words?
The paragraph is probably justified. Select the paragraph and choose Align Left, or press Ctrl+L on Windows or Command+L on Mac. If the gap is caused by actual repeated spaces, use Find and Replace as well.
Does Condensed spacing delete extra spaces?
No. Condensed changes the visual spacing between every selected character. The original space characters remain in the text and can still appear when the text is copied.
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No. Design > Paragraph Spacing > No Paragraph Space changes line and paragraph spacing. It does not remove spaces typed between words.
Can I remove every possible whitespace character with one Word command?
Do not assume that a wildcard pattern will work universally across Word versions. The basic replacement pane targets the exact text entered in Find what. Test any Advanced Find and Replace wildcard on a copy of the document first.
The Bottom Line
To remove spaces from the actual text, use Ctrl+H and replace two spaces with one, repeating the replacement for longer runs. If the text is clean but the gaps look too large, switch justified paragraphs to left alignment. Condensed character spacing and horizontal scaling are visual layout changes, not replacements for text cleanup.
Sources: Microsoft Find and Replace; Microsoft character spacing and scaling; Microsoft indents and spacing.
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