Weird spacing between words in Google Docs can make your documents look unprofessional and messy. Thankfully, there are a few easy ways to fix this issue.
What Causes Weird Word Spacing in Google Docs
There are a few potential causes of odd word spacing in Google Docs:
- Pasting text from another source – Formatted text from other applications can carry over weird spacing when pasted into Google Docs
- Justified alignment – Google Docs can create uneven spaces between words when text is justified
- Inserting manual spaces – Accidentally inserting too many spaces between words
- Browser zoom level – An incorrect browser zoom level can distort spacing
The most common culprit is typically justified text alignment, which inserts awkward spaces between words to force the text to line up on both the left and right margins.
How to Fix Weird Spacing Between Words
Fixing weird word spacing in Google Docs is simple:
1. Select the Text
Highlight the paragraph(s) that contain the oddly spaced text. You can press CTRL+A (Windows/ChromeOS) or ⌘+A (Mac) to select the entire document.
2. Change Alignment to Left
In the toolbar, click the Align option and select Left to change the alignment. This removes the justification that was causing uneven spacing.
Align text left in Google Docs
3. Adjust Line Spacing (Optional)
If changing the alignment doesn’t completely fix the issue, you can also adjust the line spacing:
- Click Format > Line spacing
- Select Single or 1.15 spacing
Single spacing is typically best for uniform word spacing.
4. Customize Spacing (Optional)
For precise control, select Custom spacing in the line spacing menu. Here you can set exact before and after paragraph spacing. Set both values to 0 for tight, consistent spacing.
Tips for Preventing Weird Spacing
Here are some tips to help prevent weird word spacing while typing in Google Docs:
- Use left alignment – Left alignment avoids the uneven spacing from justification
- Paste plain text – When pasting text, paste as plain text to avoid carrying over formatting
- Check zoom level – Make sure browser zoom is set to 100%
- Limit manual spaces – Don’t insert extra spaces between words
- Disable smart quotes – Disable smart quotes in Docs’ preferences to prevent curly quotes from distorting spacing
Formatting for Readability
Proper spacing is important for readability. Here are some formatting tips:
- Use line breaks – Separate paragraphs with line breaks using
Shift+Enter - Add space between paragraphs – Click the arrow next to the spacing button in the toolbar and select
Add space after paragraph - Employ white space – Use blank lines between sections and bullet points for visual separation
- Utilize headings – Break up text with second and third-level headings using
##and###markdown syntax
Conclusion
Fixing weird word spacing issues in Google Docs is easy—just change alignment to left. Additionally, adjusting line spacing or custom spacing can help fine-tune as needed. Employing proper paragraph formatting and spacing for readability is also important. Following these simple tips will help you prevent and fix odd word spacing, ensuring clean and professional documents.
