Double Space Between Sentences
This came about because monospaced type has a uniform appearance and two spaces between sentences broke up the text and made it easier to read.
Double space between sentences. The habit of using two spaces is a relic from the era of typewriters when typists spaced twice to more clearly define the end of a sentence. Double word spaces between sentences is a practice commonly believed to have evolved from the use of typewriters. For most people that s not a problem.
The single or double space between sentences argument has been an ongoing one for decades. There used to be an old typographical convention that it s proper to use two spaces after a sentence. Because monospaced type i e type in which every character occupies the same amount of space has a uniform appearance the double space between sentences broke up the text and made it easier to read.
Reading speed only improved marginally the paper found and only for the 21 two spacers who naturally typed with two spaces between sentences. This was largely due to the limitations of now antiquated technology and was the standard style taught by most schools until around 20 years ago. However typographic opinions are typically anecdotal with no basis in evidence.
Traditional pre digital typesetting required the use of double spacing after periods and colons. Anyone in that situation has to change the word setting manually each time. There s no way to change the sentence spacing check at the document style or paragraph level.
James felici author of. The majority of one spacers on the other hand. Characters were monospaced back then which means.
The people who study and design the typewritten word decided long ago that we should use one space not two between sentences. Double word spaces were frequently albeit inconsistently used in handset metal type settings especially to help force justified type. The two space rule came about thanks to the monospaced type used by mid 20th century typewriters.