Should i double space after periods

And, as with many behavioral studies, findings from college students are not generalizable to the general population. It also does not account for generational differences given that some people grew up with double spaces and some have known nothing other than the single space ie, the right way. But the advent of word processors and computers changed that because nearly all their fonts are variable-width—except a couple handful of fixed-width ones that imitate typewriter fonts, the best known of which is… the Courier family.

The whole point of using two spaces relied on using fixed-width fonts. Single spaces only became standard when variable-width fonts became standard, so it makes no sense to use a fixed-width font to determine whether two spaces is appropriate.

We already know it is. In fact, perhaps the only thing we can all agree on is that two spaces is appropriate with fixed-width fonts like typewriter text. That kind of methodology is the equivalent of using tumor-prone rats to test whether an exposure causes the rats to… grow tumors. So the researchers did not appear to adjust their analysis to account for a priori preferences among their participants: one-spacers read the text almost equally as fast in both conditions, but two-spacers read slightly faster with two spaces.

Total reading time for those natural two-spacers was milliseconds yes, milliseconds with one space and milliseconds with two spaces a 2. This is worthy of a WaPo headline? Others also took the study to task, and actual typographer weighed in too. Whether you fall firmly on the side of the single space, or you remain true to your double-space roots, it actually has more to do with how you initially learned to type than your age.

If you learned on a typewriter or word processor you most likely fall into the Double Space Club. For those who learned to type on a computer, single-spacing has probably always been the norm and probably why single spacers find themselves so devout about their spacing: it is the only method they have ever known. Although there has been plenty of back-and-forth on the topic, a recent study may have concluded why many people still prefer seeing a double space between sentences: that extra space can help you read faster.

While it may only cut down on reading time by a few seconds, some people can find that time invaluable. When you use two spaces after every period because you CAN. By the way, I really like the name Jennifer. So much so, in fact, that I named my younger daughter Jennifer. Specifically, a Joker…. Are you on Facebook? I almost forgot to answer your question about a print version. I considered it, but I tend to update the book a couple of times a month. So a print copy would quickly become less useful than the ebook version.

People seem to have an innate talent for mangling language. I suppose the argument for proportional vs. However, I do find the larger space between sentences to be slightly more important than the space between words, even though there IS an ending punctuation mark. The only time I only use one space is when tweeting, and nearing the end of my character limit, which makes me wonder if that is the real source of this nonsense….

I wonder if Lou Reed used two spaces or one? It is generational. And I fail to see what the big deal is. It is also about habit. I find the people who get their knickers in a twist about something so little really need to find something to occupy their minds.

It is after all an easy fix in the editing process of something. When I write I am focused on the words, not how many spaces I put at the end of a sentence.

It is habit, pure and simple. If anything I would have thought that this was an effect of justification. Thanks for this! I was sort of annoyed that my mom insisted I take a typing class in , but it really was helpful darn, she was right AGAIN! Now that I am addicted to my iPhone and iPad, I have often wondered about spacing. The best trick I recently figured out is that if I hit space twice at the end of a sentence, a period automatically appears! And it saves me from having to find the period on my small screen iPhone.

I really do love technology! Not entirely true. While I cannot speak for other people my age, I can say that I have long over a decade before I am 40 and I use two spaces after the end of a sentence. Call me old fashioned, but it is, from what I have been taught, the correct way to type.

I find it ironic that the example you use in the image at the top of the post should not have a period at all — it should be a semi-colon. You are so right. I realized that not long after posting it, but decided to leave it since the post was doing so well.

I should have known it was going to attract people who had serious grammar chops! But it is incorrect to say that this is due to proportional fonts and computers. Because books have been typeset with proportional fonts for centuries probably since Gutenberg , and they used to always have larger spaces between sentences than between words. Pick up an older book and see. I still think a larger space enhances readability. Completely disagree. Getting rid of the two spaces after a period is like getting rid of the Oxford Comma — a clear sign of generational depravity, laziness, and ignorance.

Go to hell, modernists! Please please make sure you limit this to proportional fonts. You have no idea how many court reporters you get bent out of shape by making this blanket statement. Court reporters still use mono fonts. We may be the last to use them, but we do use them.

Hi — thanks for sharing this. I find it positively laughable how bent out of shape some people are getting about this topic. Double spacers, keep doing your thing. Haha, that might not be the evidence. Kids who were taught to space twice or old souls would have a hard time in your class.

It just seems right to me. But never mind that. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed your article and would love to read about where you stand concerning the Oxford Comma.

I will not give up my two spaces. I was a former typesetter and know all about kerning. Also a former graphic designer. I think two spaces is more pleasing to the eye and makes for better reading. I completely agree with you about the two spaces and the Oxford comma. The only difference is that I call it the serial comma. Interesting that Manjoo utilizes an Oxford comma in his rant, but fails to comprehend the need for two spaces.

APA does require it. Single spaces at the end of a sentence are simply sloppy. There are so many debates about style regarding who is right, who is wrong. I have found this article very interesting! One thing I have always insisted on is the two space method. Many of my students have compared it to the way they were taught to write by hand. One finger space between words and two between sentences.

I am self-taught at typing and only do the double space after discussing it with other teachers. I also prefer the look of two spaces between sentences, although I admit that is probably just because it is what I am used to! However, this has inspired me to modify my ways for the next school year too close to the end of the school year to change the rules now! I think I will have a discussion with my middle school students about the pros and cons that were listed here and allow them to make their own decision.

Perhaps two spaces will eventually just disappear, but since it still seems to be a discussion educating them on the topic might bring about some interesting conversation! In writing this post, I have tried to single space but have wound up going back and trying to manually change the spacing that I did without thinking. I think that I will probably continue my habit of double spacing…at least for now!

Also, much like several others on here I rarely create accounts on websites just to post. But I found this topic so interesting that I could not resist! Thanks for the great article! Hi Monty!

That sounds like a refreshing approach, to let your students weigh the different opinions and make their own decision. You sound like a great teacher! As a magazine editor, I love this article. In fact, an otherwise glorious submission you send to a magazine might be rejected simply because no one has time to edit out the double spacing. But the upside is that we are all lifelong learners and can adapt.

After all, a year-old human resources person will likely notice if you double space on your resume and cover letter. It ages you and indicates that you will likely be a liability if the job you seek requires any sort of written communication. Gosh, I could go on and on. But the bottom line is that everyone who uses a computer keyboard is communicating with a new set of rules.

Proportional monospacing has made double spacing a thing of the past. Why shoot yourself in the foot when you can simply use one space after a period? Thank you for getting the word out and addressing my pet peeve. I learned to type in middle school on a computer and was told to double space. None of my teachers, employers, friends or relatives many of them are teachers have ever had an problem with the way I type. Thank you for this reminder, Jennifer. Like you, I consider typing class to have been one of the most valuable classes I ever took.

I am now committing to making a concerted effort to change. I just had to delete extra spaces in all that I have typed so far in this post! I have started to wonder if anyone teaches grammar and punctuation at all anymore. I hope not. I know my grammar is not perfect and my punctuation could always use a good editor. Now I suddenly feel a need to apologize for using your blog as my soap box. I suppose I have felt distress about what I have observed as a serious decline in use of the English language.

When I found myself called on the carpet over my extra spaces, I felt compelled to share my concerns. This is not directed at you or anyone in particular. You need not have worried over extra spaces in this post, webpages will only display one space, no matter how many you type. Gee, seems that everything about our language is constantly changing. I was taught that common usage is what changes the language and that there really are no rules other than to satisfy a teacher or ones employer.

Words change with time but we do not necessarily discard previous meanings, we more likely simply add the new meaning to the list. I tend to be old school and adopt what I like from the new school and not adopt what I do not like. I see no harm to the double space so I use them, not out of habit but because I like the aesthetic.

I make no apology for offending anyone who has a differing opinion. Opinions are not rules in English. Think otherwise and you are speaking and writing in the wrong language. I believe the French language has a ruling body so those needing a language with hard and fast rules should probably write in French. Are my aged eyes deceiving me? It appears to me that every reply has only one space after the punctuation mark.

You are seeing correctly! The blogging software I use evidently takes out extra spaces. And to do that requires writing directly in HTML. So double spacing at the end of a sentence tells people that I am over 40 — so what? I have no problem admitting that I am over 40 65 a week ago, in fact and am still a functional and employed member of society. I will continue to double-space, and fully agree with several previous comments about the ease of reading a document with double spacing at the end of sentences.

I also agree that the dearth of proper grammar and spelling in society today, particularly in popular media and advertising, is much more worrisome than a mere two spaces at the end of a sentence! The previous commentator is correct; my double-spacing has disappeared! By the way, another pet peeve of mine is the misuse of the ; vs. Over 40? Seriously, those of us who were taught typing on manual Royals in the same part of the school where shorthand was taught, spent our lives double spacing between sentences about as automatically as we rode bicycles.

That was the whole idea behind the typing OK, keyboarding — you do it without thinking about it. I will always say that Typing 1 was one of the most valuable classes I had in high school.

But enough about the days of Dinosaur High where typing classes sounded like the Western Front. By going through a lengthy process, Word will allow you to choose the number of spaces between sentences when correcting grammar and then you must manually correct by right clicking.

A major contrast is Open Office Writer 4. And, by the way, I only double spaced three times while writing this. But, then, I am over 40, or so. I learned to type on an old, manual typewriter without a 1. That means it also was without an exclamation point. You coped by typing a period, backspacing once, and typing an apostrophe. If nothing else, we were spared statements punctuated by!!!!! That was in the U. But in the 70s, I started working as a typesetter—later loftily called a typographer.

Early typesetting software beeped at you if you spaced twice and discarded any spaces after the first one. I quickly learned to space just once—everywhere—to avoid the beeping. Word underlines double word-spaces as errors because, yes, they are considered incorrect. One of my clients sends me type to proofread that later will be uploaded to a website. For those who think the second word-space is important for helping readers to recognize the end of a sentence—what do you think the capital letter on the first word of a sentence is there for?

These American aberrations of UK English annoy me intensely. Why does it matter? There are a lot of holdovers from earlier eras of language, because language is an organic, additive process.

Old words can gain new, modern meanings. Do the extra spaces account for a huge loss in paper efficiency in printed media? I am 25 years old, and space twice after sentences. When I was five years old, my mom bought me a beautiful old-fashioned typewriter because I thought it was cool. She taught me how to type on the typewriter, and one of the things she taught me was to use two spaces after each sentence.

Years later, my typing teacher taught me the same on a computer when I was in fifth grade. I would have to mentally and physically restrain myself to typing only one terminal space after each sentence; and it would take me forever to type. Most people I know did as well. I just finished grad school a year ago, and in my field we use APA, and we were definitely told by our instructors NOT to do two spaces after a period. Took a long time to train it out of my system. Whether using hot type Linotype or cold type computer-generated , The rule has always been except for monospaced fonts, only one word space after a period.

I can assure you that if you submitted a copy to a professional type house that had two spaces after punctuation, it would be corrected to a single space, whether being used for advertising, publications, packaging, signage, TV titles or pretty much any other use.

I am also finding it ironic that as I am using the dictation mode to write this post, it is throwing in double spaces that I am, naturally, going back and fixing. I just wanted to note that my old co-workers are staunch defenders of the double space. I am only leaving this comment to further fan the flames of tension between us. Two spaces! Till death do I part! Does it really matter in the big picture?

I think debates like this are healthy, though. Yes, this is an automated feature of the blogging software I use. It was not my choice, but I have found that it really irks people in this particular thread.

I like the two spaces because otherwise, I zip past the end of the sentence. Jennifer I am afraid you are showing the era that you started putting things online. As someone who has also learned web design and other IT things — I can say that was an issue of the technology of the time. Yes, today marketers will say a title will be clicked on more if it is x characters and less.

But those things are arbitrary and a sign of the moment — not based on a recognized rule or convention. Once I realized that I did not have an IT person calling the shots on this — I went back to the more elegant two spaces between a sentence. But then I also indented. Using the double space when you are creating a document that will never have an online use never should have been changed to one space in the first place.

Oh, and I would suggest to your web-person that they change the spacing settings for between paragraphs — this looks huge to me. Hi Marcus. What about ending a sentence with a preposition? Is that out the window now? I like leaving 2 spaces after a period and I use the serial comma. Actually, I am over 40 57 to be exact and I never heard of this rule.

I was a court reporter for years. I used typewriters every day and never once heard of this. Hi Russell! If a lot of your time was spent in the legal field, that may be the reason.

One other group you forgot to include is writers, and by that I mean authors. People who write manuscripts, scripts, advertising copy, plays and screenplays use two spaces at the end of a sentence because their work is meant to be read.

Any other reason to change the norm is impractical and foolish. It is just a tough habit to break, as you can see within this comment.

I prefer the look of two spaces. It gives a breath between the completed thought that is a sentence. I feel the modern age is averse to space.

All space needs to be filled with something. There always has to be music playing in public buildings. People cannot sit in the car without the radio or some music or god forbid a video going on. Just like the habit of two spaces, the habit of filling in all the space is just that—a habit. And for the most part it is a bad habit. Space is needed to reflect and make sense of the world.

In music it is the space as much as the notes that gives structure to rhythm. It is the ability to suspend a note for the appropriate length of time which gives a finely executed piece it distinction. Less accomplished players are always in a hurry to sound the next note. Being able to consciously participate in the space between notes is just as important as the notes themselves. I suggest that either style should be acceptable. I think that the self appointed writing style advocates should tone down the militancy a notch, this article, however being more conciliatory than some.

After all it is the content of writing that we ought to give our time and attention. Languages, grammar, styles, and protocols change rather quickly in the larger scheme of things. Stimulating thought is timeless. Michael, I really enjoyed reading this; it was thoughtful and nicely written. And I completely agree with you about the piped-in noise in public buildings. Sometimes I have to cover my ears just to process a thought.

I appreciate your contribution here. Oh, the terrible amount of effort it takes to hit the space bar twice! You could get carpal tunnel syndrome. I always got the impression that such people failed English class, and rather than learning the rules, they tried to convince everyone else to make their same mistakes. Apparently having standards is now a bad thing. They just get in the way. There are in fact many finer points of language which are upheld by these people.

A little help seeing where the often very long sentence ends can only make it easier to struggle through such writing. Of course I advocate for shorter sentences too. Most online print now, including news blogs, you know like CNN and such, use a full blank line between every sentence.

Every sentence is a paragraph, which actually seems about right, because there often seems to be no connection between one sentence and the next. Typewriters require 2 spaces. Word processing and by the WAY, books follow the one space rule! All these 2 space nut jobs have trouble reading books?! The rule is two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence, and one space after a period that ends an abbreviation.

What about commas?! When type-writing were they followed with a double space like the period? If they were only followed by a single-space, why? I for one find text easier to read when there are two spaces after a period. Is there any? I am I have never heard of leaving two spaces after a full stop, and I would never dream of doing any such thing. I am over 60 and I use 2 spaces because I use new technology.

It provides convenience and speed. When you put a double space at the end of a line, the program automatically places a period in its appropriate spot and starts the next word with a capital. Continue to manually put in the period, one space and a capital. I choose to let modern technology do the work for me. A number of things have changed over the years and this is one of them. Do we really need another post on this topic?

I like your writing Jennifer and encourage you to raise the bar. Thanks, Cowboy. I agree. Damn, I feel old. I just caught myself doing it again… Two spaces is what they taught me in elementary school and it just stuck ever since. I learned to type in on a manual typewriter. You had to press the keys HARD. At my age and eyesightability, I need 2 spaces so that I know when a new sentence has started. I just bought a typewriter for fun to write letters. Someone please help me, what am I to do?

Just use one space? When did CMOS first recommend one space instead of two after periods and colons? I found the one-space rule in the 15th edition, but I remember hearing somewhere that it goes back to the 13th edition. But CMOS 15 was the first edition to make an explicit recommendation for one space after a period or a colon in typed manuscripts.

The 1st edition described a system of variable spacing that was the norm at the time. I recognize all writing formats today say there is to be one space between the period of a sentence and the first letter of the next sentence. I believe this fails to take into account studies that refer to visual cues that assist the reading process. So I start here with you to request this be fully discussed and reviewed with the hope that we may at minimum note that two spaces are acceptable between sentences.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. You are a lone voice, crying in the wilderness. Too little, too late; a bolted horse, a dollar short. No metaphor can express how hopeless this is. Our best advice to you is to look for a silver lining in the single space. I took typing in and was taught the two-space convention and have used it ever since.

That is, until one of those pesky millennials complained and slapped me with your website. When did the convention change? The convention changed quite a while ago. All right then!