How many spaces after a period?

[Backroads]

A buddy on Facebook posted an article yesterday about how incredibly old-fashioned and unprofessional it is to put two spaces, when typing, after a period.

 

It pretty much put me into shock and a long Google search in which I learned... "no one" does that anymore.

 

So I'm only 30 and we had computers in my elementary school when I was in kindergarten... and every typing teacher since then as taught me to put two spaces after every period.

 

Am I alone in this lack of knowledge?

[pam]

I learned 2 spaces after a period.  The last few months I have learned that now one space is appropriate.  Not sure I will be able to break that habit.  It's ingrained in me.

[Lakumi]

I was always taught with one space, and that is what I do to this day. Never heard of the two space thing, I do remember being taught typing in school, how worthless that was.

[Guest]

I never even noticed. I've always done one space, but I never took typing or anything in high school.

[The Folk Prophet]

It used to be two spaces. Now that's considered passe. I'm not sure when it changed, but I keep up to date on such things as best I can because I write. I learned 2 spaces when I learned typing back in the 80s.

[Backroads]

This has never come up in my writing group. Bringing it up next session.

Mind you all, I get why one space and agree with it. But I just never knew...

[Just_A_Guy]

I've also heard about the switch, but the only reasons I can see behind it are 1) it's more efficient, and 2) it's more aesthetically pleasing.

 

I already type over 70 WPM, so efficiency isn't really an issue for me--trying to re-train myself to do one space only would actually slow me down.   And frankly, I just don't have a lot of patience for people who get all wound up about whether or not my typography is pretty enough.

[Guest Godless]

I was taught two spaces, though the only time I've ever followed that was for formal writing (school papers and resumes, basically). I always found it annoying and unnecessary.

[Iggy]

Back in the 60's -70's when I was in Jr. High & High school, it was two spaces after a period. Then when I went to a computer and took an on-line course in MS Word, it was taught that when you write, use the Justify settings to make your paper- missive easier to read. By doing that, it doesn't matter how many spaces you put after a period, as the justify setting pretty much does away with that. 

 

When I do a letter that I am going to print, it is in the justify settings, plus I set the line spacing at 1.5. Those I send *snail* mail letters to have old eyes. Another thing of note. The font Ariel Narrow uses less ink than any other font, and it is easier for people to read. 

 

Back in community college in 1972, my best typing test (using an electric olivetti typewriter was 95 wpm. Took me a week to get used to it after using an IBM Selectric. Olivetti's are much more touch sensitive. I preferred them because you could pick your font.  

[Dr T]

I have written many many pages and APA format was two spaced following a period.  

[classylady]

When I worked for a printing company, I typed 90+ wpm and did a lot of proofreading. For the life-of-me, I can't remember if we did double or one space after a period. I'm used to the two spaces after a period, but I've been trying really hard to switch to one space. I do notice that when I type using one space after a period, when the typing is "wrapping around" it does it properly, but if I use two spaces, and the paragraph "wraps around" at the end of a sentence, there is a space at the beginning of the line that shouldn't be there.

[SpiritDragon]

I'm your age and I was taught to use the two spaces as well when learning to format typing in school. It could be fairly easy to miss the memo that it changed to one space. I don't remember exactly when I learned that but it seems like it was after high-school. My college professors didn't seem to mind either way as long as it was consistent through-out a paper. I've mostly broken the habit of double spacing after periods in large part because the word processors I use give me the bad grammar squiggly if I double space.

 

It is fascinating how quickly little things about writing can change. I was also taught to indent the start of paragraphs, but that too seems to have faded in favour of an extra space between paragraphs while foregoing the indent.

[jerome1232]

Last I checked (recently out of school) MLA standard these days is either or, but one space is prefered.


I've never understood WHY a person would put two spaces after a period.

[bytebear]

The reason it changed was because of the web.  HTML considers all white space (spaces, tabs, new lines, carriage returns) as a single space.  It was so you didn't have to worry about spacing in scripts.  And because of that, the standard changed.  I don't like it, but it's what it is.

 

Oh and the reason two spaces were standard was so you could tell the end of a sentence from an abbreviation. 

 

By the way, paragrahs have changed as well.  Notice, no indentation, and a double space to separate paragraphs. Again, because spacing (tabs) doesn't matter in HTML.

 

This is the post formatted the "old" way.

 

     The reason it changed was because of the web.  HTML considers all white space (spaces, tabs, new lines, carriage returns) as a single space.  It was so you didn't have to worry about spacing in scripts.  And because of that, the standard changed.  I don't like it, but it's what it is.

     Oh and the reason two spaces were standard was so you could tell the end of a sentence from an abbreviation. 

     By the way, paragrahs have changed as well.  Notice, no indentation, and a double space to separate paragraphs.

[kapikui]

In truth, it depends on what you're writing, and where.

 

APA

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/24/

Spacing (4.01). Regarding punctuation in manuscript drafts, APA suggests using two spaces after periods ending sentences to aid readability.

 

MLA

http://www.mla.org/style/style_faq/mlastyle_spaces

How many spaces should I leave after a period or other concluding mark of punctuation?

Publications in the United States today usually have the same spacing after a punctuation mark as between words on the same line. Since word processors make available the same fonts used by typesetters for printed works, many writers, influenced by the look of typeset publications, now leave only one space after a concluding punctuation mark. In addition, most publishers' guidelines for preparing electronic manuscripts ask authors to type only the spaces that are to appear in print.

Because it is increasingly common for papers and manuscripts to be prepared with a single space after all punctuation marks, this spacing is shown in the examples in the MLA Handbook and the MLA Style Manual. As a practical matter, however, there is nothing wrong with using two spaces after concluding punctuation marks unless an instructor or editor requests that you do otherwise.

 

As noted before, anything done in HTML will generally only show a single space unless non breaking spaces are used.

 

Most modern word processors and text editors will take care of single vs double space on the start of a line, but a few can inadvertently end up with a space at the start of a line.

 

For the most part, it really doesn't matter. people who tend to get upset over such things, really need to find better things to do with their time.

[Just_A_Guy]

Indenting still seems pretty common in print; just not online.

[mordorbund]

All through school it was 2 spaces after the period. In college I was told either/or (back in 2k). I managed to train myself on a single space before I graduated. Now, having covered that,

 

 

YOU WILL NEVER TAKE MY OXFORD COMMA AWAY FROM ME!!!!

[Maureen]

I took typing in High School and this is the first time I have ever heard of two spaces after a period.

 

M.

[applepansy]

I guess I'm old and old fashioned.  I always do two spaces after the period.  Two spaces increases readability.  If you pay attention in printed books there are usually two spaces.

 

I really notice when there is only one.

[Dodie]

I was taught in the 70s (up to 1981) to do two spaces after a period.  Lately I've seen a lot of people state that it really bothers them and is out-dated.  Because of that I am trying to remember to do only one space.  As you can see, it isn't easy. However, I'm trying.

[Crypto]

When I went through high school each teacher wanted a different formatting style it seemed. Chicago, APA, MLA, MLA version 2000, 19xx etc...

So sometimes it is still hard to figure out what to do since not everyone keeps up with the most recent standard.

 

I have a feeling the two spaces thing started because of typography and the printing press. Similar to putting the period to end a sentence inside the parentheses or quote marks.

[applepansy]

When I went through high school each teacher wanted a different formatting style it seemed. Chicago, APA, MLA, MLA version 2000, 19xx etc...

So sometimes it is still hard to figure out what to do since not everyone keeps up with the most recent standard.

 

I have a feeling the two spaces thing started because of typography and the printing press. Similar to putting the period to end a sentence inside the parentheses or quote marks.

We're not suppose to do that now too?

[Blackmarch]

I sometimes do I sometimes don't... however any time I submit anything to someone that matters I (IE Boss) I make sure to do so.

[pam]

We're not suppose to do that now too?

I've always put the period inside the quote marks.

[jerome1232]

I've always put the period inside the quote marks.

 

I've always hated that, the little voice inside my head always says "but that's NOT IN THE QUOTE"

Edited August 24, 2014 by jerome1232