2011/01/14

It’s a Single Space!

DaGoddess @ 17:34

I’ve had this argument a million times, it seems. When I was editing for an online magazine, I’d spend countless hours deleting extra spaces and trying to wrangle text into neat little blocks.

And now, now I have the article to back up my assertion that we only need ONE space between sentences!

Every modern typographer agrees on the one-space rule. It’s one of the canonical rules of the profession, in the same way that waiters know that the salad fork goes to the left of the dinner fork and fashion designers know to put men’s shirt buttons on the right and women’s on the left. Every major style guide—including the Modern Language Association Style Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style—prescribes a single space after a period.

So, take that, all you crazy double-spacers! I mean, friends. I mean…oh, never mind. Just…read and follow the rules, please. My eyes, and the eyes of the world willl thank you.

9 Comments

  1. Agreed. It’s an outdated rule from the days of the typewriter. I remember being taught to use the double space back in the day, but it’s no longer appropriate.

    Comment by Stu — 2011/01/15 @ 08:05

  2. Ok, ok, you tortured it out of me! I confess… I’m a double spacer. Sigh. I’ll try to do better, but can make no promises. I’m too old a dog to learn new tricks.

    Comment by Jan — 2011/01/15 @ 12:24

  3. Single spacing is better… as long as there’s the occasional paragraph break. Nothing gives me a headache more than to read a huge block of unbroken single spaced text.

    Comment by diamond dave — 2011/01/15 @ 20:27

  4. I’m a double spacer and have read the same type of articles you reference but haven’t been able to stop doing it. Old dogs and all that. Argh…

    Comment by pam — 2011/01/16 @ 05:19

  5. In properly set books and documents, I prefer the two spaces after a period. However, that also means the font must play nicely along with the words.

    More and more though, and especially through blogging, the Internet, Kindles, Nooks, blah blah blah, we must look to what encourages more reading, making it easier, and what is most soothing to the eye. The single space wins. Huzzah!

    We now can live in peace and harmony once again.

    Comment by DaGoddess — 2011/01/16 @ 06:21

  6. Funny, I always thought 2 spaces was correct, because that was how I learned it on a typewriter. I’ve learned to relax when others don’t follow it, even to the point of shrugging it off as an anachronism and not always doubling up myself, but I still thought I was right. Time to worry about more important things, like you’re often confused spelling here, their and everywhere. Its lingual carnage out they’re!

    Comment by Marshall — 2011/01/16 @ 08:56

  7. I’ll double space after a sentence. Always. Can’t help it, even when I know it will auto-correct. My thumbs have been doing it for over 30 years now, and they can’t unlearn it. You’re welcome to correct this if you want! ;)

    Comment by Mrs. Who — 2011/01/16 @ 20:54

  8. Hahahaha! I was the same way for a long time, but I finally saw the light after having to deal with too many odd linebreaks in text. You’re a teacher, you’re supposed to have good habits like this

    Comment by DaGoddess — 2011/01/16 @ 21:22

  9. Sorry, been out of town (San Diego).(TWO) But I was taught to be a two spacer.(TWO) I doubt that alone makes me crazy, but might be one in a long list of things. ;) :pirate:

    Comment by Retired Navy CPO — 2011/01/24 @ 13:19

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