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How to Fix Microsoft Word Adding Spaces Between Letters
Question details
The user needs to remove abnormal spaces appearing between letters in a Microsoft Word document.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Editing or reading a document where the text suddenly appears stretched or improperly spaced out.
- Observed behavior
- Spaces are inserted between every letter, making the text difficult to read and completely altering the document's normal formatting.
Before changing any settings, highlight the affected text to ensure the spacing issue isn't isolated to just one specific paragraph or caused by a copy-paste action from an external website.
Turn Off Text Spacing in Immersive Reader
Immersive Reader has a specific Text Spacing feature that automatically adds spaces between characters, words, and lines to improve readability.
If your entire document suddenly looks spaced out and the standard ribbon has disappeared, you likely entered Immersive Reader mode by accident. Exiting this mode will instantly restore your normal document layout.
Look at the top ribbon menu in Microsoft Word. If you are in Immersive Reader mode, you will see a specific tab labeled 'Immersive Reader' highlighted at the top.
Click on the 'Immersive Reader' tab and select the 'Close Immersive Reader' button with the red 'X' icon to return to the standard Print Layout view.
Undo the Distribute Text Command
Accidentally pressing Ctrl+Shift+J instead of Ctrl+J applies the 'Distribute Text' command, which stretches words and letters across the entire line.
Reset Character Spacing to Normal
The text may have been manually expanded using the advanced font formatting options.
How to Adjust Character Spacing in WPS Writer
WPS Writer offers full compatibility with Microsoft Word documents and provides an easy-to-use Font dialog to help you precisely control character spacing and avoid unwanted text stretching.
- 1. Open the Document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open your .docx file that contains the text with spacing issues.
- 2. Select the Affected Text: Highlight the words or paragraphs where the letters are spaced too far apart.
- 3. Open the Font Dialog: Right-click the highlighted text and select 'Font' from the menu, or press 'Ctrl+D'.
- 4. Adjust Character Spacing: Switch to the 'Character Spacing' tab, set the 'Spacing' option to 'Normal', and click 'OK' to restore standard formatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my Word document suddenly spread the text across the whole line?
You likely pressed the 'Ctrl+Shift+J' keyboard shortcut by accident instead of 'Ctrl+J'. This shortcut activates the 'Distribute Text' command, which forces the text to stretch evenly between the left and right margins by adding spaces between letters. Press 'Ctrl+L' to align it back to the left.
Can copy-pasting text from a website cause unwanted spaces between letters?
Yes, when you copy text from the internet, it often brings its original source formatting, including CSS letter-spacing rules. To fix this, paste the text using the 'Keep Text Only' option or clear the formatting after pasting by highlighting the text and pressing 'Ctrl+Space'.
How do I intentionally add space between letters for a heading?
To widen the spacing for stylistic purposes, highlight your text, open the Font dialog box (Ctrl+D), go to the Advanced or Character Spacing tab, select 'Expanded' from the Spacing dropdown menu, and enter the specific point size you want to expand it by.
What is Immersive Reader and why does it change my spacing?
Immersive Reader is a Microsoft Word feature designed to improve reading comprehension and focus. It includes a 'Text Spacing' tool that deliberately adds extra space between characters, words, and lines to make text easier to parse for people with dyslexia or reading difficulties.
