Office Settings & Configuration

How to Allow Two Spaces After a Period in Microsoft Word

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to configure Microsoft Word to accept two spaces after a period without flagging it as a grammar or punctuation error.

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Typing documents that require or prefer double spacing after terminal punctuation.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Word's default grammar and refinement checker flags two spaces after a period as a punctuation issue.

Before you start

Ensure you have Microsoft Word open and a document loaded so you can access the Word Options menu.

Solution 1Recommended

Change Grammar and Refinement Settings in Word Options

Adjust the built-in proofing settings to either allow two spaces after a period or ignore spacing conventions entirely.

By default, modern versions of Microsoft Word treat a single space after a period as the standard. If your style guide requires two spaces, you can easily modify Word's grammar settings to accommodate this.

Open Word Options

Click on the 'File' tab in the top left corner of Microsoft Word, then select 'Options' at the bottom of the left-hand menu.

Navigate to Proofing Settings

In the Word Options dialog box, click on 'Proofing' in the left pane to access document correction configurations.

Access Grammar and Refinements

Scroll down to the 'When correcting spelling and grammar in Word' section. Click the 'Settings' button located next to 'Grammar & Refinements'.

Modify Punctuation Conventions

In the Settings window, scroll down to the 'Punctuation Conventions' section. Locate 'Space between sentences' and change the dropdown menu to 'Two spaces' or 'Do not check'.

Save and Apply

Click 'OK' on the Grammar Settings dialog, and then click 'OK' again on the Word Options dialog to save your changes.

Settings Applied Globally: Once saved, this spacing preference will apply to all future documents edited in Microsoft Word under your current user profile.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Word flag two spaces after a period by default?

Microsoft Word updated its default stylistic rules to favor a single space after a period. This aligns with modern typographic standards and widely used style guides like APA, MLA, and Chicago, which now recommend one space.

Can I apply this two-space setting to all new documents?

Yes. When you modify the 'Space between sentences' setting in Word Options under Proofing, the change is saved to your user profile and automatically applies to all new and existing documents you open in Word.

Will changing the spacing setting affect other grammar checks?

No. Adjusting the punctuation conventions only affects how Word evaluates the spacing after terminal punctuation. All other spelling, grammar, and style rules will continue to function normally.

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