Big or uneven gaps between words in Google Docs usually come from justified alignment, extra spaces from copying and pasting, or a font’s own spacing. Unlike Word, Google Docs doesn’t have a word-spacing slider, but you can fix almost every spacing problem with alignment, a quick Find and replace, or a different font. This guide walks through each cause and fix.
Quick Answer
If the text is justified, select it and press Ctrl + Shift + L to align left. If there are extra spaces, press Ctrl + H, check Use regular expressions, type a space followed by {2,} in Find, type one space in Replace with, and click Replace all.
Fix 1: Justified Alignment
Justified text stretches the spaces between words so lines reach both margins, which creates big gaps, especially in short lines, narrow columns, or text with long words or links.
- Select the text and press Ctrl + Shift + L (Command + Shift + L on Mac), or click Align left on the toolbar.
- If you need justified text, reduce gaps by breaking long URLs, using a slightly smaller font, or widening the text area (File > Page setup > Margins).
Fix 2: Remove Extra Spaces
- Press Ctrl + H (Command + Shift + H on Mac), or go to Edit > Find and replace.
- Check Use regular expressions.
- In Find, press the spacebar once and then type {2,}. This matches two or more spaces in a row.
- In Replace with, press the spacebar once.
- Click Replace all.
Without regular expressions, search for two spaces and replace with one, clicking Replace all until nothing is found.
Fix 3: Tabs and Special Spaces
- Tabs: With regular expressions on, find \t and replace with a space.
- Non-breaking or odd spaces from websites: with regular expressions on, find [\x{00A0}\x{2000}-\x{200B}] and replace with a normal space.
- Paste without formatting next time with Ctrl + Shift + V to avoid bringing in odd characters.
Fix 4: Change the Font
Some fonts have wider spaces than others. Monospaced fonts like Courier New give every character (including spaces) the same width, which looks spaced out. Switch to a proportional font like Arial, Roboto, or Georgia for tighter, more natural spacing. To change the whole document, see our guide on changing the font for the whole document in Google Docs.
Want More Space Between Words or Lines?
- Between words: Google Docs doesn’t have a word-spacing setting. You can use Find and replace to replace single spaces with two, or use a font with wider spacing.
- Between lines and paragraphs: Use Format > Line & paragraph spacing for real spacing control. See our guide to changing paragraph spacing.
- Precise typography: If you need character or word spacing controls, download the document as a Word file and adjust spacing in Word (Font > Advanced).
Summary
- Justified text: align left with Ctrl + Shift + L.
- Extra spaces: Find and replace a space followed by {2,} with one space, using regular expressions.
- Replace tabs and special spaces, and paste without formatting.
- Try a proportional font for tighter spacing.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.