Formatting Issues

How to Fix Tiny Dashes Instead of Text in Microsoft Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

Letters and numbers in Microsoft Word are appearing as small dashes, and increasing the zoom or font size does not resolve the visibility problem.

Product: Microsoft Word 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reading or editing a document where text characters are severely compressed vertically, making them unreadable.
Observed behavior: Text appears as compressed tiny dashes instead of readable letters and numbers due to abnormally small line spacing constraints.

Before you start

Highlight the affected text before attempting to adjust any paragraph settings so the corrections apply directly to the problematic area.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Paragraph Line Spacing Settings

Changing the line spacing from a restrictive 'Exactly' setting to 'Single' or 'At least' will allow the text to display at its normal height.

This issue typically occurs when paragraph line spacing is accidentally set to 'Exactly' with an extremely small value (such as 1 pt). Under these strict constraints, Microsoft Word forces the text into that height, cutting off the vast majority of the characters and leaving only a tiny dash visible.

Select the text

Click and drag to highlight all the text that is currently displaying as tiny dashes in your Word document.

Open Paragraph Settings

Right-click on the selected text and choose 'Paragraph' from the context menu, or click the small dialogue box launcher icon in the bottom right corner of the Paragraph group on the Home tab.

Modify Line Spacing

In the Paragraph dialog box, locate the 'Spacing' section. Click the 'Line spacing' drop-down menu.

Apply a new spacing rule

Change the setting from 'Exactly' to 'Single', or choose 'At least'. Click the 'OK' button to save and apply your changes.

Also fixes hidden images: This exact same solution is highly effective for resolving issues where images inserted 'In Line with Text' appear cut off at the top.

WPS Office Word Processor

Manage Document Formatting Flawlessly with WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive, user-friendly interface for editing text documents. If you regularly experience formatting errors, WPS Office provides excellent compatibility and simple paragraph controls to fix layout issues in seconds.

1. Open your document in WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open the .docx file that contains the compressed text.
2. Select the problematic text: Highlight the text that appears as tiny dashes.
3. Access paragraph formatting: Right-click the selection and choose 'Paragraph' from the pop-up menu.
4. Fix the line spacing: Under the Spacing section, change the Line Spacing dropdown to 'Single' and click 'OK' to instantly restore your text.

Seamlessly open, edit, and save Microsoft Word (.docx, .doc) formats without compatibility loss.Highly intuitive paragraph and layout controls to prevent text compression and hidden elements.Completely free, lightweight, and fast alternative to heavy office suites.Available across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android for cross-platform editing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the 'Exactly' line spacing cause text to look like tiny dashes?

When line spacing is set to 'Exactly' with a very small point size (e.g., 1 pt or 2 pt), the word processor rigidly forces the text line height to that measurement. Because standard text requires significantly more vertical space, the characters are cut off, leaving only a tiny horizontal sliver of the text visible.

Does this line spacing problem affect images in my document as well?

Yes. If an image is pasted 'In Line with Text' into a paragraph that uses a very restrictive 'Exactly' line spacing, the image will be truncated horizontally, appearing mostly hidden or cut off at the top.

How can I prevent this formatting error when pasting text from the internet?

When copying text from a website or another document, right-click where you want to paste the text and select the 'Keep Text Only' paste option. This strips away corrupted or unwanted paragraph formatting, adopting the default normal formatting of your current document instead.

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