How many spaces should there be after a period?

The history of one space or two spaces after a period

A typist may use one or two spaces after a period due to the typesetting technology available in their formative education.

Before the invention of word processing software and computers, people used typewriters to draft documents. When a typist pressed a key on a typewriter, the carriage moved the paper the same distance regardless of the key. This made the distance between spaces and letters indistinguishable from one another. All characters had the same width, which is a type setting known as monospace. To differentiate complete sentences on typewriters, two spaces were needed after punctuation. For a visual example of a monospace font, try using Courier New in Microsoft Word.

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Technological advancements and the invention of word processing software have since introduced proportional typesetting. Character spacing was adjusted for the varying width of letters. Letters and spaces became distinguishable from one another, eliminating the need for two spaces. Most fonts used today, like Times New Roman, are proportional and allow for easy readability.

People used typewriters for their typing more often than computers until the 1980s. For this reason, those from Generation X and earlier may use two spaces after a period out of habit. But are both period spacing options still acceptable? Most style guides now only agree on one option.

What do most style guides recommend?

After The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) officially changed its guidelines to recommend one space after a period in 2019, style guides largely agree that using one space is correct.

For reference, style guides that recommend one space after a period include the following:

• The MLA Handbook by the Modern Language Association
• The Chicago Manual of Style by the University of Chicago
• Associated Press Stylebook by the Associated Press
• The Gregg Reference Manual by William A. Sabin

Now that you know how many spaces should go after a period, you can finish typing your sentences with confidence.