How to Change Column Spacing in Word (Text Columns and Tables)

by

To change the spacing between text columns in Word, click inside the columns, go to Layout then Columns then More Columns, and type a new value in the Spacing box under Width and spacing. Click OK and the gap between the columns updates.

If your “columns” are actually part of a table, the space you want to change is controlled by cell margins and cell spacing instead. You’ll find those under Table Layout then Cell Margins. Both routes are covered below.

Quick Answer

  1. Click anywhere in the text that’s set in columns.
  2. Go to Layout, click Columns, then choose More Columns.
  3. Under Width and spacing, type a new Spacing value. Clear Equal column width first if you want different gaps.
  4. Check the Preview, pick an Apply to option and click OK.
  5. For a table, use Table Layout then Cell Margins to change the space inside or between cells.

In This Guide

Before You Start: What “Column Spacing” Means in Word

These steps follow Microsoft Support documentation as of September 2026. They apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019 and Word 2016 on Windows. Word for Mac uses the same Columns dialog, although labels can vary slightly by version.

Column spacing can mean two different things:

  • Text columns (also called newsletter-style columns) are regular paragraphs that flow down one column and continue at the top of the next. The spacing is the empty gap, sometimes called the gutter, between those columns.
  • Table columns are vertical sets of cells. The space between the text and the cell border is the cell margin, and optional gaps between the cells themselves are cell spacing.

If your text sits inside boxes with gridlines, it’s a table and you can jump to the table section. If you haven’t set up columns yet, start with how to make two columns in Word.

One thing to keep in mind: the page width between the margins is fixed. When you make the spacing larger, Word makes the columns narrower to compensate, and when you make the columns wider, the spacing shrinks.

Method 1: Change Spacing in the Columns Dialog Box

This is the most precise way to change the gap between text columns.

  1. Click anywhere inside the text that’s formatted in columns.
  2. Click the Layout tab. In some older versions it’s called Page Layout.
  3. Click Columns, then choose More Columns at the bottom of the menu. Expected result: the Columns dialog box opens.
  4. Find the Width and spacing section. With Equal column width checked, only the first row can be edited, and Word applies it to every column.
  5. Type a new value in the Spacing box, or use the arrows. For example, change 0.5″ to 0.3″ for a tighter gap. Expected result: the Width value adjusts automatically so the columns still fit the page.
  6. Look at the Preview area to check the result.
  7. Optionally check Line between to add a vertical rule in the gap.
  8. Click OK.

Microsoft documents this dialog on its Adjust column widths on a page page. If you want a divider in the gap, see how to add lines between columns in Word.

Method 2: Set Different Spacing for Each Column

Sometimes you want a narrow sidebar and a wider main column, or different gaps on each side of a middle column.

  1. Open Layout then Columns then More Columns.
  2. Clear the Equal column width check box. Expected result: a separate row appears for each column in Width and spacing.
  3. For each column number, type the Width you want and the Spacing that should follow it. The last column typically has no spacing to set, because there’s no gap after it.
  4. Watch the Preview. If a value won’t stick, the total is probably wider than the page, so reduce another width or gap.
  5. Click OK.

Method 3: Adjust Spacing With the Ruler

The ruler is handy for quick visual tweaks when your document already has columns.

  1. If the ruler isn’t visible, turn it on from the View tab by checking Ruler.
  2. Click inside the columns. Expected result: the horizontal ruler shows shaded areas that mark the gaps between columns.
  3. Drag the edge of a shaded gap to make it wider or narrower. Ruler behavior can vary slightly between versions, so check the result on the page as you drag.
  4. Release the mouse and check the text flow.

Microsoft notes that you can use the ruler to adjust column widths. For exact numbers, return to the More Columns dialog afterward and read the values Word applied.

Change Spacing in Only Part of a Document

Column settings apply to a section, which is a part of a document separated by section breaks. By default, a new document has one section, so a change affects everything.

  1. Select the text you want to change, or place the cursor where the new spacing should begin.
  2. Open Layout then Columns then More Columns and set your spacing.
  3. In the Apply to list, choose an option such as This section, This point forward or Selected text. The choices shown depend on what’s selected and whether your document already has sections.
  4. Click OK. Expected result: Word may add section breaks as needed, and only that part of the document changes.

To control where text moves into the next column, put the cursor at that spot and choose Layout then Breaks then Column, or press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. To see breaks, click Show/Hide on the Home tab. Microsoft’s Insert a column break page has the details.

Change Spacing Between Table Columns

Tables don’t use the Columns dialog. Instead, you control padding inside cells and optional gaps between cells.

Change cell margins (space inside cells)

  1. Click anywhere in the table.
  2. Go to the Table Layout tab (shown as Layout under Table Tools in some older versions).
  3. In the Alignment group, click Cell Margins. Expected result: the Table Options dialog opens.
  4. Under Default cell margins, change the Left and Right values to add or remove horizontal room between text and the column borders. Top and Bottom control vertical room.
  5. Click OK.

Add space between cells

  1. Open Table Layout then Cell Margins again.
  2. Under Default cell spacing, check Allow spacing between cells and enter a value. By default, tables have no spacing between cells.
  3. Click OK. Expected result: small gaps appear between all cells, giving the table a separated, grid-of-boxes look.

The same Table Options dialog also has Automatically resize to fit contents, which is on by default. Clear it if changing margins keeps resizing your columns. Microsoft explains these settings in its Table options article, and notes that they’re available in the desktop versions of Word, not Word for the web. For text that doesn’t fit its cells, see how to wrap text in a table in Word.

Which Option Should You Use?

What you see What to change Where
Text flowing in columns, no cell borders Column spacing Layout, Columns, More Columns
Columns need different gaps Individual spacing More Columns, clear Equal column width
Quick visual adjustment Gap on the ruler View, Ruler
Text crowded against table borders Left and right cell margins Table Layout, Cell Margins
Want visible gaps between table cells Cell spacing Table Layout, Cell Margins, Allow spacing between cells

Troubleshooting

The More Columns option is grayed out

Try switching to Print Layout view (View then Print Layout) if you’re in another view, and make sure the cursor is in the document body, not a header, footer or text box. In Word for the web, column options can be more limited, so open the file in the desktop app if the setting is missing.

Word won’t accept my spacing value

The widths plus the gaps can’t be wider than the space between the page margins. Reduce a column width or another gap, or make the page margins smaller.

The change affected the whole document

The Apply to list was probably set to the whole document. Undo with Ctrl + Z, then repeat the steps and choose This section, This point forward or Selected text.

Columns look uneven at the end of a page

Word fills one column before starting the next. Insert a column break with Ctrl + Shift + Enter where you want the next column to start.

Cell margins changed, but the table got wider

Open Table Layout then Cell Margins and clear Automatically resize to fit contents, then set your column widths again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the default spacing between columns in Word?

Word typically suggests 0.5 inch between columns in a new document, but the exact value depends on your template and version. Check the Spacing box in More Columns to see your current setting.

Can I remove the space between columns completely?

You can set Spacing to 0, but text in neighboring columns will almost touch, which is hard to read. A small gap, or a gap plus Line between, is usually better.

How do I add a line between columns?

Open Layout then Columns then More Columns, check Line between and click OK.

Does changing spacing change column width?

Yes. The page width is fixed, so a bigger gap makes the columns narrower and a smaller gap makes them wider.

How do I change the space between table columns?

Use Table Layout then Cell Margins. Adjust the left and right cell margins, or check Allow spacing between cells.

Can I use different spacing on different pages?

Yes. Use the Apply to list or insert section breaks, then set the spacing for each section separately.

Summary

  1. Decide whether you’re working with text columns or a table.
  2. For text columns, open Layout, Columns, More Columns.
  3. Change the Spacing value under Width and spacing.
  4. Clear Equal column width to set different gaps.
  5. Use Apply to to limit the change to part of the document.
  6. For tables, adjust cell margins or cell spacing from Table Layout, Cell Margins.

Next step: open your document, go to Layout then Columns then More Columns, and try a slightly smaller or larger Spacing value while watching the Preview.

Related posts: