Paragraphs on Microsoft word keep on spacing out too far...?

Question

It's not the lines, but when I pressed enter to make a new paragraph it automatically double spaces. Not the single lines, but the space in between paragraphs is too big but when I try to backspace the new paragraph i typed just goes into the one before it. And then I press the space bar and it automatically puts a wide space in between the paragraphs. I don't know what button I pressed, and I have tried to fix it by going into Format and then Paragraph but nothing I try seems to work. Please help me!

Answer 1

Sounds like you have some After spacing attached to that paragraph style.  Try this:

In Word versions prior to Word 2007 (Vista):

1. Click in an affected paragraph.

2. Click on the Format->Styles and Formatting menu item.

3. In the bottom part of the sidebar that pops up, the style for your paragraph should have a bold box around it.

4. Hover the cursor over the style. A listbox arrow should appear. Click it.

5. Select Modify from the list box.

6. Click the Format button and select Paragraph.

7. Make sure the After textbox has a zero in it.

8. OK out of everything.

All paragraphs in the document with that style should adjust themselves.

Now, if you want to carry this one step further and fix the style on the template your document is based on (probably Normal.dot, but not necessarily), do this:

1. Click the Tools->Organizer menu item.

2. In the left-hand list box, find and click on the style you changed.

3. Click the Copy button between the two list boxes.

4. Click OK.

When you close your document, you may see a warning message asking if you want to save the changes to Normal.dot. This is an anti-virus measure, intended to alert you that something has changed in Normal.dot. In this case, you made the change, so you want to accept it.

In Word 2007:

1. Click in an affected paragraph.

2. Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.

3. Click the arrow in the lower right corner of the Styles section.

4. The style for your paragraph should have a bold box around it.

5. Hover the cursor over the style. A listbox arrow should appear. Click it.

6. Select Modify from the list box.

7. Click the Format button and select Paragraph.

8. Make sure the After textbox has a zero in it.

9. Click OK.

10. If you want this to carry forward to other documents based on the template this one is based on, click the radio button for New Documents Based On This Template.

11. Perform the adjustments you want in the indentation section.

12. OK out of everything.

All paragraphs in the document with that style should adjust themselves.

When you close your document, you may see a warning message asking if you want to save the changes to Normal.dotx. This is an anti-virus measure, intended to alert you that something has changed in Normal.dotx. In this case, you made the change, so you want to accept it.

That should do it.

Answer 2

In a Word document:

click Edit

cl Select All

cl Format

cl Paragraph

about the middle of the screen, line spacing, set to single

for "spacing before and after" type a 0

That will correct this document.

Now, click Format

cl Font

at the bottom left, click Default

click Yes to have this affect future documents based on normal.dot

Answer 3

Are you working with a template, heading, theme or anything else that might be controlling these settings?

What are your settings for paragraph?