Two Spaces after a Period

If you don't put two spaces after a period, there's something wrong with the education you received. Or maybe there's just something wrong with you.

Yes. Always have, always will.

No. And doesn't Word remove the second space automatically? I think I read that in the tenth or eleventh of these threads.

It's the law and custom. How long have you been unemployed?

Ha. I was caught up in the "you are supposed to" and then it changed mid education.

It must have reverted back.

It didn't revert. It never changed. It's that the Aspies and incels who invented the tech revolution think they can rewrite the rules of grammar.

Stupid people buy in without questioning it.

It's not a rule of grammar. It has to do with typesetting and spacing.

[quote]Here’s why: Back when we used typewriters, every character was given the exact same amount of space on the page. That meant the letter i was given the same amount of space as the letter m, even though it clearly didn’t need it. This is called monospaced typesetting and it’s, well, spacey. We needed that extra space between sentences to make it easier to see the beginning of new sentences.

The Chicago Manual of Style and the Modern Language Association Style Manual both dictate one space after period. Stupid, R6?

Only the olds do this. 👴🏻👴🏼👴🏽👴🏾👴🏿

I'm an old, r9. I don't do it.

Two spaces after a period says that you, or the person responding to you, are old. Seriously. Two spaces was the rule but it did change over 10 years ago. Use a single space after a period from now so you can get past all the young people who screen job applicants.

Because you’re young at ♥️.

I just started my period and i need lots of space.

[quote]We needed that extra space between sentences to make it easier to see the beginning of new sentences.

That hasn't changed, but people have stopped caring.

APA says two spaces after a period that ends a sentence to aid readability.

Young people do not care about any of these "details".

"They also don't care about proper spelling and grammar, nor about clean cut cock, so what do they know?"

[quote]APA says two spaces after a period that ends a sentence to aid readability.

That ought to suffice for everyone concerned.

This appears to be just another "old people don't know what they're talking about" thread, when, in fact, they do.

[quote]APA says two spaces after a period that ends a sentence to aid readability.

Actually, it doesn’t aid readability. It’s a distraction. Every time I see it, it stops me dead in my tracks and I go WTF?! It stops the flow of what you’re read8ng.

It has never been the rule to leave two spaces after a period, and there has been no change in that rule.

What has happened is that young people are so stupid that they have never read a book. Just go the library and open one, any one.

NO BOOK ALIVE LEAVES TWO SPACES AFTER A PERIOD, YOU ILLITERATE JACKWAGONS.

If you’re supposed to use two spaces after all sentences, then why don’t newspaper do it? Why don’t novels do it? Why doesn’t any article you read online do it?

Well, then, obviously, you ladies are right, it's the APA style guide (established 1929) and the people responsible for its content, who are wrong.

........I mean, what the fuck could those guys know?

R22, if they’re right then why don’t books and newspapers follow that then??!

MLA Style says one space after the period.

Thanks to the poster(s) above for mentioning APA style; I had never heard of that. I bookmarked it.

If you are typing your heart out on your Underwood manual typewriter, yes. Otherwise, no need at all.

I was taught 2 spaces for my own academic papers, by Americans, and this in the age of typewriters. Now, nobody seems to know this rule among the academics I work with, who are mostly not American (and nobody cares about dangling prepositions, either). Perhaps it was NOT a rule for printing, rather a rule for texts one is submitting for whatever reason. Now in the age of computers, people let the computer and it's "grammar checker" decide.

And of course, people think computers are never wrong.🙄

Not anymore but it’s how we were taught in the 80s when typewriter fonts didn’t do proportional spacing.

There's a setting in Word that highlights when you don't use two spaces after a period. I needed to switch it on for my APA reports and essays.

[quote]And of course, people think computers are never wrong.🙄

There is no right or wrong. This is a matter of functionality. Two spaces was because of the typewriter’s limitation. So why would a computer artificially replicate that limitation when it didn’t have to? That’s like saying people are “wrong” for riding in cars instead of horse and buggies.

Of course these days any space after a period is a bad thing.And capitalizing the first word in a sentence is also wrong.so just don't'do it and dont write the same wordthe same way each time or else.they'll think your a spaz.

Things that are certain life; death, taxes, and two spaces after a period.

One space, especially in resumes and cover letters. Two spaces has an older connotation, something taught way back when. You're application will be DOA against a large pool of applicants.

Consider as well getting a gmail address. Another tell tell sign that you're older to GenX and Millennials who do recruiting or the hiring mgr.

I never do it. However, the worst are those who don't put one space after a comma. I see this on DL all the time.

2 spaces.

Don’t bother asking younger millennial’s, or any Gen Z’er, because their typing style is to write one big run on sentence, void of capital letters, commas, and periods.

Two spaces. Anything other than that is directly related to the downfall of the civilization.

[quote]You're application will be DOA against a large pool of applicants.

As will you'res.

R38 Don't give a crap when autocorrect does its thing on DL. I'm more than comfortably retired and have no need to to be perfect for a loser grammar queen/frau. Maybe I should have typed "it's" so you get your (you're?) rocks off?

No need anymore. The two space convention is a leftover from movable type and typewriters. No longer necessary with computer fonts.

If you'd like to identify yourself as someone older, use two spaces, OP.

Also, the Associated Press Stylebook states one space after a period.

Most important is that OP spelled "yea" correctly.

I've found myself dropping the two spaces after a full stop. It feels strange typing it on a smartphone keypad. I was always taught to put two spaces at the end of a sentence. Now, I just go with the flow. It is interesting, reading all of the comments, about how this double spacing can be perceived by a younger reader in the recruitment sector.

Young people don't write in sentences anyway. They just use emojis.

😂😂😂😂

Many of the replies I receive are from youngish people. I now think it may be more about your degree: BS or BA, etc.

[quote]If you'd like to identify yourself as someone older, use two spaces, OP.

Yes, if you think a prospective employer is specifically seeking applicants older than 50, let your two-space flag fly!

If you are using a TYPEWRITER, yes. If you are using a computer - NO, NEVER TWO SPACES.

That's right, R48, modern programs automatically adjust the space after periods.

I can assure you as a (somewhat) elder in the publishing industry, you absolutely do NOT put two spaces after a period if you are using any sort of word-processing/digital/computer program. As a few have mentioned previously, the two-space rule was not a 'grammar' thing, it had to do with the spacing used in typewriters, which is no longer the case, and no longer needed.

I have no idea why the word computer hyphenated itself. I blame gremlins.

Must be a US thing. I am from EU, and I never heard of this. Always one space only.

As a college student 25 years ago I was taught to use two spaces after a period in my typing (computer) class. It made for better readability. I've tried switching to just one space after a period but it's so ingrained in me that I can't do it. It's second nature. Nowadays the computer programs I use automatically switch two spaces to one anyway so I don't have to change or even think about it anymore. Yay me.

In the olden days I was an editor of typed manuscripts. Before reading text I'd scan the pages looking for the frequency of the white patches which marked sentence length. I'd get a sense of the rhythm of the writer. Few white patches could indicate run-on sentences or general prolixity while lots of white patches might mean the text was uncomfortably staccato. I'd have an idea of what sort of editing to do but word processing software has eliminated that useful telltale.

In my editing days in the not too distant past, I spent too much time removing that damned second space from stories for our publications.

Double spacing in typeset text in English became passé around the mid-20th century (Chicago first specified single spacing in 1949). APA style calls for double spacing in research papers but not in typeset text (for journals, books, etc.). In France the convention has always been a single space between sentences.

The aesthetic argument against double spacing in printed vs. typewritten text is that it creates unsightly gaps, or "rivers of white space," particularly in narrow columns. Not everyone agrees that it looks bad (some publishers were allowing it into the 1950s—see below), but to me it's distracting.

And please, 3 spaces after the state abbreviation in an address before the zip code.

Two spaces and an AOL email address will automatically cast you into the "too old" pile.

I sit two spaces away from anyone having their period.

I'm only 30 and I was taught to use two spaces by an older relative. It wasn't until a few years ago that I learned it's no longer the standard. I was never corrected in high school or college for some reason.

I've always used two spaces after a period, which according to earlier posts, is "the law". It's also the law not to tear tags off of pillows, but after years of waking up to find the tag in my mouth, I got sick of it, so I cut it off (the tag, not my mouth).

I have my picture on my CV and everyone can see I'm not a saggy old man!

This whole thread it totally anal, just what one would expect from the sondomites at DL.

I work with a nice, smart older woman who does this. We co-author long reports. When we've finished, I always say to her "Can I go over this by myself tonight? I always find one or two small things that need changing." She lets me, and the next day I say "Everything looks fine. The report is good to go!" She doesn't know that I use the Find/Replace feature in Microsoft Word to remove all of her double (and sometimes triple) spaces after periods. She has never noticed the subtle change, unless if affects the page numbering. I have to remember to update the Table of Contents.

No, used to be two. Just one, please.

Word will fuck up your post-period space(s) if you use Justify (Ctrl + J). If you use Justify, your single space may appear to be two or even three, poor folks of all ages.

Huh, why not just tell her not to use the double spacing, R64? Maybe you don't really find her smart.

I'm finding that Word error flags a space after a comma before a quote. Like,"What da fug?"

Editors here, what gives?

Ugh, it's hard to read a document that is in full "justified" mode. I don't know why people format documents like that unless it's absolutely necessary.

I have never found anything that justified "justified," r69.

Gen Y use justified all the time and its looks horrible and is difficult to read. Finally I ask for digital submit and NO pdfs and I unjustify the damned texts.

I work for a Fortune 100 company and our communications and branding guide decreed only single spaces after a period at least 15 years ago.

I'm irritated by widows and orphans in text. You editorial and graphics peeps will know what I mean.

I used to love to edit to fit the text into a pleasing shape. No widows and orphans allowed!

Apropos of nothing, I'm a retired marketing specialist and among other things I designed billboards. The fewer words and bigger the type the better. Now when I'm driving around and spot billboards with too many works and small type I get irritated.

Warning! Fug billboard below.

Ugh ^ words, not works.

I know, r73. Do they expect you to stop your car and get out and read it?

OP, as for the job interview, ALWAYS mimic your interviewer. Two spaces. ALWAYS. When they tell you you’ve spelled a word wrong and you know you’ve used an acceptable alternate spelling for presentation purposes, don’t correct them, just thank them. Etc. etc.

I feel like I ought to coach people because by the time I was done with work, I could get an interview with one application (and did). So trust me.

[quote] When they tell you you’ve spelled a word wrong and you know you’ve used an acceptable alternate spelling for presentation purposes, don’t correct them, just thank them. Etc. etc.

Some "acceptable alternative spellings," please.

It's the Social Science. APA Style. I'm sure.

Write to your audience.

Thanks

When we used typewriters, we were taught to put 2 spaces at the end of a sentence. Now with everything being "typeset" elecronically, even personal letters, one space is enough. This depends on whether you are using a properly designed typeface, that has accurate width tables and kerning tables. A cheaply or poorly designed typeface won't look right. Or, a typeface deliberately designed to be monospace (every character the same width, no kerning) will look bad. But some people are after a "bad" look for the artistic effect. In general you don't put 2 spaces after a period now, because modern typefaces and modern software adjust the space automatically.

I am watching Downton Abbey and somehow this issue of one space or two doesn't come up. The show's supposed to take place before PC/WPs but they seem to have had typewriters at times.

When I was taught typewriting in the early 1980s we were taught to put two spaces after the full-stop. Nowadays, it looks strange when typing on your smartphone screen. I prefer two spaces when I'm typing a letter, but just one in emails, texts and tweets. I guess that it's not how your writing is presented that's important, but the content.

I was never taught to add two spaces after a full stop.

You know what deeply angers me? When people don't add ANY spaces after a full stop.Like this.

R82 I agree!

One space. I am most definitely an eldergay. But when I took a foray into publishing in the 90s, I got lambasted by the copy editor for double-spacing after periods. Unless you're Jessica fucking Fletcher, it is unnecessary and immediately brands you as old-fashioned. I do a fair amount of editing in my work now, and the proof double-spacing after a period is wrong shows up when I get a submission where the line break lands between the two spaces. Then the next line starts with a space. Clumsy.

I put two spaces after this period. Did DL use both of them?

[quote] R77: Some "acceptable alternative spellings," please.

I still remember, just barely. R77, there are tons. “Focussed” is a secondary spelling of “focused”. This is not my opinion, it is as stated in the dictionary. I used it on a resume years ago so that the spacing would be “pretty”. After a couple interviewers told me it was misspelled, I changed it to standard. Lots of people say they discard resumes with misspellings, which they can do since they (usually) get so many.

Also, IIRC, French words we commonly use, like résumé. Or is it resume? Is the former too “fancy”? It depends on your audience, is my point.

I hate "focussed." But you type British, so exceptions are the rule.

When I graduated college, I was told to put down any work experience, even McDonalds, because employers want to know that you’re employable. Well, I worked college Summers in Provincetown, so I put it down, it didn’t get much interest until I removed it from my resume.

This was the 1980s, but that’s not the Stone Age. So, discrimination is real and active.

R77 Cancelled vs. canceled. Both acceptable.

I usually go for "canceled," but yes, either seems acceptable.

I have no idea why you jumped to their thinking you're stupid, but yes, always two spaces after any punctuation mark that ends a sentence.

Be a trendsetter, OP. Put three or four spaces after the period.

I usually hit “tab” after periods. Is that wrong?

You are useless bitches.

r2, eldergay alert.

The double space was for the typewriter. Since word processing and typing on computers, you no longer put double space after a period.

My high school typing teacher, Mr. Wiant (who passed away recently), would threaten to rap our knuckles with a ruler if we didn't doublespace!

When I became a fledgling journo, it was all about the Associated Press Stylebook. For news in electronic media, broadcast and print, it's been one space for ages.

It cracks me up that so many people repeat what's already been posted. That said, put in as many spaces as you want/.No one willnotice.

OMG DL took out my all extra spaces! Damn!

Real estate is valuable, R98!

[quote]No one willnotice.

Actually, the extra spaces are very distracting and very noticeable. It impedes readability.

Youareabsolutelyright,R100.

Check out the 448 page Mueller report. The entire report uses double spaces after every period.

I’m with Mueller.