OT - how many spaces after a full stop? One or two?

[ste-m]

Hi there,

We had a bit of a debate in the office today about whether it was 'proper'
to have one or two spaces after a full stop. It's a bit sad I know, but
it's something I'd like to get to the bottom of as it's equally irritating
for both sides of the argument when checking through big Word documents that
multiple users have contributed to, to find this inconsistent spacing
throughout.

Therefore, when typing documents, should there be one or two spaces after a
full stop? Or are these different conventions for different types of
document? Or a different one again for emails?

Thanks for any advice on this,

Stephen

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

One. The days of two spaces are history. That was a carryover from the days
of typewriters and monospaced text. Modern fonts are proportionally spaced
and don't need the extra space to clarify a separate sentence.

Keep it simple - Use one rule. Whether your office decides to use one or two
spaces won't change the direction that the earth rotates.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

~~~~~
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

 

[Tom Willett]

It has been taught over the years that when typing a document you have two
spaces after a period.

That is correct sentence structure.

Now, when writing emails, that's another story. So many people have taken
to using chatspeak, that it's pathetic.

When creating a web page, you use one space after a period, which is HTML
specs.

Google will give you all the information you need.

Tom
| Hi there,
|
| We had a bit of a debate in the office today about whether it was 'proper'
| to have one or two spaces after a full stop. It's a bit sad I know, but
| it's something I'd like to get to the bottom of as it's equally irritating
| for both sides of the argument when checking through big Word documents
that
| multiple users have contributed to, to find this inconsistent spacing
| throughout.
|
| Therefore, when typing documents, should there be one or two spaces after
a
| full stop? Or are these different conventions for different types of
| document? Or a different one again for emails?
|
| Thanks for any advice on this,
|
| Stephen
|
|

 

[Pop`]

It depends on the text used. If it's mono-spaced, then 2, same as a
typewriter. Same "font", same rules for ease of reading.

If it's proportional text, as most are, then only one is needed/preferred.
It's much easiser to visibly see the end/start of sentences so the double
spacing isn't needed.

I type it the way I feel works. If that's one space, then so be it. If it's
two spaces, then so be that. Which is easier to read here; when I used one,
or when I used two spaces? You decide.

In general, it's irrelevant, IMO.

Pop`