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Spaces between sentences.

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How many spaces between sentences?

  • Single space after period.

  • Double space after period.


Results are only viewable after voting.
Two spaces is only for monospaced type, as oxymoronic as that sounds.

Yep, I was taught two in a (gulp) typing class. It was in the textbook and iirc, all the style manuals. I use one now, looks better and no wasted space. I've noticed that the older people I work with routinely use two, younger use one.
 
I prefer two. I won't think too much less of you if you use just one. All other things being equal, the applicant with two spaces in their cover letter gets the job.
 
I do 2 because in IOS it adds the period after 2 spaces and capitalizes the next letter for me. It has trained me.
 
Back in the late 80's I was taught to use 2 spaces.. I still always use 2.

Yep, I was taught two in a (gulp) typing class. It was in the textbook and iirc, all the style manuals. I use one now, looks better and no wasted space. I've noticed that the older people I work with routinely use two, younger use one.

Same here, and still do so.

I joke that the only skills I learned in high school that I still use every day are cooking and typing...
 
I find it annoying that there is no universal standard.

There is. It's one space.

Two is correct formal usage. This started changing about 15 years ago... There is an evolution to one (this is often justified with texting, etc...). You can generally assume that people who "know" that single space is correct are under 40 years old.

No it's not. Single space is correct. The only time you use two spaces is if you're using a typewriter or a monospaced font, which you should not be using for any kind of formal communications.
 
Single space is correct, but learning that has totally fucked up my typing. I spent so much time double spacing that I can't shake the habit. Now I double space half the time and single space the rest. Often I'll do both in the same post!
 
I was taught two spaces in high school, so it's what I've always used. It's pretty much second nature for me to hit the space bar twice after a period, so I doubt I'll be changing.
 
Did you guys also get taught to use long s's? You know, back in 1784 when you were children?

One space. Always. This is not a question.
 
In my view, the problem here is in the changing definition of "space". The classic rule is ONE space after a period before the next sentence. That works perfectly in the era of monospaced typewriters with pica (10 characters per inch) or elite (12) letter positions. But today almost all work is being done on word processing equipment that uses proportional spacing fonts - ones in which the width of a letter depends on the letter itself. In such fonts, a "space" is a narrow letter and gets, actually, LESS width than the "average" letter like "a" or "k". Its width is more like an "i" or "l". Hence, one such "space" actually looks not quite enough spacing between sentences. I believe, like many, that TWO such "spaces" makes the layout clearer and easier to read. So in today's world I use two spaces after a period. To me, that is the right way to accomplish what was the aim of the old original rule - clarity of the written document.
 
double spacing went out with the typewriter

everyone who claims to have been taught double space is dating themselves
 
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