How to Underline Without Text in Word (Blank Lines)

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To underline blank space in Word, press Tab a few times, select those tab characters, and press Ctrl+U. Word underlines the empty space, giving you a clean line to write on in a printed form. This is the method Microsoft recommends for printed documents.

If people will fill in the document on screen, a one-cell table with only its bottom border turned on works better, because typing on it won’t push the line around. Below you’ll find both methods plus four alternatives, and a table to help you choose.

Quick Answer

  1. Select Home > Show/Hide ¶ so you can see tab marks.
  2. Click where you want the blank line and press Tab several times.
  3. Select the tab arrows you just typed.
  4. Press Ctrl+U. The empty space is now underlined.
  5. For forms completed on screen, use a 1×1 table with only a bottom border instead.

In This Guide

Before You Start

“Underline without text” usually means creating a blank line for a name, signature, date or answer. Word’s underline feature normally follows characters, so you need something for it to sit under: tab characters, spaces, a border or a drawn line.

What this guide covers, as of September 2026:

  • Word for Windows: Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019 and Word 2016.
  • Word for Mac has the same underline, table and shape features, but menu names and shortcuts can differ (for example, Command instead of Ctrl). Labels in this guide follow the Windows version.

Two terms you’ll see:

  • Formatting marks are symbols Word shows on screen (but never prints) for spaces, tabs and paragraph ends. A tab appears as a small arrow, and a space as a dot.
  • Font dialog box launcher is the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Font group on the Home tab. It opens the full Font settings, including underline styles.

Method 1: Underline Tab Characters (Printed Documents)

This is the recommended method for documents people will print and fill in by hand. Tabs create even, predictable gaps, so your lines line up neatly.

  1. Go to Home > Show/Hide ¶ so you can see the marks for spaces and tab stops. Expected result: Dots appear between words, arrows appear where tabs are, and ¶ marks appear at paragraph ends.
  2. Click where the blank line should start, for example after “Name:” and a space.
  3. Press the Tab key several times. Each press adds one tab arrow and moves the cursor to the next tab stop.
  4. Select the tab characters you want to underline. Drag across the arrows, or hold Shift and press the Left Arrow key.
  5. Press Ctrl+U to apply a simple underline. Expected result: A line appears under the empty space.
  6. For a different look, such as a thick or double line, open the Font dialog box launcher on the Home tab and choose an option from Underline style. You can also pick an Underline color there.
  7. Turn off Show/Hide ¶ to check how the line looks without the arrows.

Tip: To make every blank line the same length, press the same number of tabs each time. If your lines end at different points, a tab stop setting may be affecting them; see Troubleshooting.

Microsoft describes this method, and the table method below, in Underline text or spaces.

Method 2: Table Cell With a Bottom Border (On-Screen Forms)

When someone types into an underlined tab, the text pushes the line to the right and can break the layout. A table cell avoids this. Only the bottom border is visible, so it looks like a line, and typed text stays inside the cell.

  1. Click where you want the blank line.
  2. Go to Insert > Table.
  3. Select the upper-left box in the grid to insert a 1×1 Table. If you want a label to the left, such as “Name:”, insert a 2×1 table instead and type the label in the first cell. Expected result: A single cell with borders on all four sides appears.
  4. Click inside the cell (or the second cell, if you made a 2×1 table).
  5. Select the Table Design tab, then select Borders > Borders and Shading.
  6. Under Setting, select None.
  7. Under Style, choose the line type, color and width you want.
  8. In the Preview diagram, click between the lower margin markers to add a bottom border only.
  9. Select OK. Expected result: The cell shows a single line along its bottom edge.

To make the line shorter or longer, drag the cell’s right edge. If you applied the border to both cells of a 2×1 table, remove it from the label cell so the line appears only under the answer area.

Method 3: Underline Spaces With Ctrl+U

Word’s standard underline covers both words and the spaces between them. That means you can type spaces with underline turned on.

  1. Click where the line should go.
  2. Press Ctrl+U to turn underline on.
  3. Press the Spacebar until the line is as long as you want.
  4. Press Ctrl+U again to turn underline off, then keep typing.

Things to watch for:

  • If you applied the Words only underline style (in the Font dialog) or pressed Ctrl+Shift+W, Word underlines words but skips spaces, so this method won’t show a line. Switch back to the regular single underline.
  • Spaces vary in width with the font and justification, so lines made this way are harder to line up. Tabs (Method 1) are more consistent.
  • Underlined spaces at the very end of a line may not display in some layouts. If the underline doesn’t show, add a character after the spaces or use tabs instead.

Method 4: Type Underscores or Use a Border Line

Type underscores

Holding Shift and pressing the hyphen key types an underscore (_). A row of underscores looks like a blank line and needs no formatting. It’s quick for a one-off line, but the length depends on the font, and typing over it is awkward.

Full-width line with AutoFormat

Word has a shortcut that turns three characters into a line across the page. Type three hyphens (—), underscores (___), equal signs (===), asterisks (***), hash signs (###) or tildes (~~~) on an empty line, then press Enter. Each produces a different line style.

This line is actually a bottom border on an empty paragraph. To change its style, go to Home, select the arrow next to Borders in the Paragraph group, and choose Borders and Shading. To stop Word from creating these lines automatically, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and clear Border Lines. Microsoft covers this in Insert a horizontal line.

Method 5: Draw a Line Shape

A line shape floats on the page, so you can place it anywhere, at any length. It’s good for design layouts, but it doesn’t move with your text the way tabs and borders do.

  1. Go to Insert > Shapes.
  2. In the Lines gallery, select the straight line.
  3. Click and drag on the page to draw the line. Hold Shift while dragging to keep it perfectly horizontal. Expected result: A line appears, and the Shape Format tab opens.
  4. On the Shape Format tab, select Shape Outline to change the color, weight (thickness) or dash style.

See Microsoft’s Draw a line in Word or Outlook for more options.

Method 6: Use Form Fields for Fillable Documents

If you’re building a form that people will complete in Word, content controls give them a defined place to type. You can pair a content control with the table border from Method 2 so there’s a visible line.

  1. Show the Developer tab: go to File > Options > Customize Ribbon, and under Main Tabs, select the Developer check box. Select OK.
  2. Click where the answer should go, such as inside the bottom-bordered table cell.
  3. On the Developer tab, select Plain Text Content Control. Expected result: A box with placeholder text appears where people can type.
  4. For older-style fields, select Developer > Legacy Forms and choose a control from the list.
  5. Before sharing, protect the form so people can only fill in the fields: select Developer > Restrict Editing, choose your restrictions, then select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.

Microsoft explains the full process in Create forms that users complete or print in Word, and our guide to inserting content controls in Word goes into more detail.

Which Method Should You Use?

Method Best for Drawback
Underlined tabs Printed forms filled in by hand Typing on the line pushes it right
Table bottom border Forms filled in on screen Takes a few more clicks to set up
Underlined spaces A quick, short line Uneven lengths; hidden with Words only style
Underscores A one-off line in a hurry Length depends on font
AutoFormat border A full-width divider or signature line Always spans the full width
Line shape Precise placement in designed layouts Doesn’t flow with text
Content controls Fillable, protected forms Needs the Developer tab

For worksheets, quizzes and fill-in-the-blank exercises, our guide to making fill-in-the-blank lines in Word shows how to lay out several lines at once. For regular text underlining, see how to underline text in Word.

Troubleshooting

Ctrl+U doesn’t underline my spaces

Check the underline style. Open the Font dialog box launcher and look at Underline style. If it says Words only, change it to the single line. Also make sure you selected the spaces or tabs before pressing Ctrl+U.

My underlined tab lines are different lengths

Tabs jump to the next tab stop, so the line length depends on where you start. Start each line at the same point, or set a custom tab stop so every line ends at the same place. You can turn on the ruler from the View tab and click on it to add a stop.

A line appeared across the whole page after I typed three characters

That’s the AutoFormat border line. Press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo it. To stop it for good, clear Border Lines under AutoFormat As You Type.

I can’t delete a full-width line

It’s a paragraph border, not text. Click in the paragraph just above the line, go to Home, open the Borders menu, and choose the option that removes borders (usually No Border).

The table cell shows all four borders

Reopen Borders and Shading, choose None under Setting first, then add only the bottom border in the Preview area.

The line moves when someone types on it

Underlined tabs and spaces shift when text is added. Switch to the table bottom-border method for on-screen forms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a blank line for a signature in Word?

Press Tab several times, select the tabs and press Ctrl+U. Type the name or “Signature” on the next line below.

Why does Word stop underlining at the end of my spaces?

Trailing spaces at the end of a line may not display their underline. Tabs, or a table border, avoid the problem.

How do I remove an underline from blank space?

Select the underlined tabs or spaces and press Ctrl+U. For double or styled underlines, you may need to press it twice, or choose (none) under Underline style.

Can I change the color of a blank underline?

Yes. Select the underlined tabs, open the Font dialog box launcher, and choose an Underline color. For border lines, pick a color in Borders and Shading.

Will the underline print?

Yes. Underlines, borders and shapes all print. Only the formatting marks, like tab arrows, stay on screen.

Does this work in Word for Mac?

The same approaches work, but menu names and shortcuts differ. On a Mac, the underline shortcut typically uses Command in place of Ctrl.

Summary

  1. For printed documents, press Tab, select the tab characters and press Ctrl+U.
  2. For on-screen forms, insert a 1×1 table and keep only the bottom border.
  3. Ctrl+U also underlines spaces, unless the Words only style is on.
  4. Three underscores or hyphens plus Enter create a full-width border line.
  5. Use a line shape for free placement, or content controls for protected, fillable forms.

Next step: Decide whether your form will be printed or filled in on screen, then set up one line with the matching method and copy it for the rest.

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