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Episode Transcript

How Many Spaces After A Period?
Episode 181: July 31, 2009

Grammar Girl here.

This week I have two topics for you: The number of spaces after a period at the end of a sentence, and whether you should use "who" or "that" to refer to people (and pets).

But first, we have a new advertiser this week, and it's a product that has changed my life, so listen up! They're called Sleep Phones and they're headphones you can comfortably wear to bed. They're like pajamas for your ears. I'll have a special offer for you at the end.

Now here's our first listener question.

Yes, the caller is correct and he's also right that a lot of people haven't heard about the change.

Two Spaces After a Period -- The Old Way

Here's the deal: Most typewriter fonts are what are called monospaced fonts. That means every character takes up the same amount of space. An "i" takes up as much space as an "m," for example. When using a monospaced font, where everything is the same width, it makes sense to type two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence to create a visual break. For that reason, people who learned to type on a typewriter were taught to put two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence.

One Space After a Period - The New Way

But when you're typing on a computer, most fonts are proportional fonts, which means that characters are different widths. An "i" is more narrow than an "m," for example, and putting extra space between sentences doesn't do anything to improve readability.

Notice how in this example, the "i's" and "t" take up much less space in the proportional font than they do in the monospaced font.

Although how many spaces you use is ultimately a style choice, using one space is by far the most widely accepted and logical style. The Chicago Manual of Style (1), the AP Stylebook (2), and the Modern Language Association (3) all recommend using one space after a period at the end of a sentence. Furthermore, page designers have written in begging me to encourage people to use one space because if you send them a document with two spaces after the periods, they have to go in and take all the extra spaces out.

I know it's a hard habit to break if you were trained to use two spaces, but if you can, give one space a try.

"That" Versus "Who"

On to the next topic, @Ranix at Twitter asked me whether a dog is a who or a that. For example, should he write

A dog who wants your love...

A dog that wants your love...

First, let's talk very briefly about people. You can use the word "that" to refer to people, but "who" is the better choice (4).

She's the girl who teaches us grammar.
He's the boy who spilled lasagna last week.

(For more information on "who" versus "that" for people, see Grammar Girl episode #24.)

Now, on to pets. Bryan Garner from Garner's Modern American Usage says "that" and "which" are the appropriate pronouns to use for anything non-human, but that makes me wonder if he's ever had a dog.

I can't imagine referring to my dog as anything other than "who." My fish could be a "that," but my dog? She's definitely a "who." Perhaps someone else's dog could be a "that"--the dog that tore up my lawn--for example. But my dog is the dog who snuggles up to me at night.

The AP Stylebook seems to use similar logic when it comes to personal pronouns and pets. For example, they state that it's OK to call an unidentified animal "it" or "that."

Earlier, we reported on a cat that was stuck in a tree.

But they note that once the animal has a name, it merits a "he" or "she." (5)

The firefighters rescued Fluffy from the tree. She rewarded them with a boisterous meow.

I believe it's a style choice, and I recommend "who" for pets who feel like part of the family, and "that" for animals that don't.

Sleep Phones

I'm really excited to be able to tell you about this new product called Sleep Phones. The reason I love them is that I have to listen to something such as an audiobook or podcast to be able to fall asleep. I had tried every kind of headphone I could find and no matter what I did my ears would hurt in the morning and half the time the earbuds would fall out and turn into little speakers in the bed, which kept my husband awake. And then I tried Sleep Phones, and my ears didn't hurt anymore, and because the SleepPhones fit right they don't fall off, and I don't have to crank up the volume to be able to hear. They're amazing. So, go to sleepphones.com/gg and use the code GRAMMAR to get $5 off.

You'll find a full transcript of this podcast at quickanddirtytips.com, along with a bunch of other great Quick and Dirty podcasts. I'm Mignon Fogarty, author of the New York Times bestseller, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, and you can find me at Twitter and Facebook under the username GrammarGirl.

That's all. Thanks for listening.

References

1. "Periods," The Chicago Manual of Style Online. http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ch06/ch06_sec013.html (accessed July 30, 2009).

2. "Periods," The AP Stylebook Online. http://www.apstylebook.com/online/index.php?do=entry&id=3544&src=AE (accessed July 30, 2009).

3. "How many spaces should I leave after a period or other concluding mark of punctuation?" MLA Handbook FAQ Webpage, January 15, 2009, http://www.mla.org/style/style_faq/style_faq3 (accessed July 30, 2009).

4. Garner, B., Garner's Modern American Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 836.

5. "Animals" The AP Stylebook Online. http://www.apstylebook.com/online/index.php?do=entry&id=175&src=AE

Comments (30) for How Many Spaces After A Period? | Subscribe to Comment

Paul Says:
10/23/2009 10:53:13 AM

Good topic here. I found this after an editor (since departed our agency) started this style change and I corrected a person writing a document that way. So I found this page and discussion. It is all about typography and readability. This single space issue really stems from the limitation of the HTML layout engine. As some on this discussion pointed out, adding two spaces where one was used after a sentence is problematic since it may also affect abbreviations and so on. So web browsers ignore multiple spaces since the layout of the code may span even multiple lines (they also ignores all carriage returns and line feeds). Some web design tools will account for this behavior by adding a non-breaking space after the sentence (type two spaces after a period and you'll get one space followed by a non-breaking space, but only in some applications). As a matter of style choice I will continue to use, and instruct my writers to use, two spaces. Thanks for the excellent discussion.

Educated Says:
10/8/2009 11:28:11 AM

The issue of one or two spaces after periods is not a type-writer carryover, it has to do with whitespace indicating the end of a phrase, and the fact that abbreviation periods are different than phrase-ending ones. Many sentences, particularly in technical writing, have periods within their structure due to abbreviations (inches = in., for example). Only the period at the end of a sentence gets the distinction of 2 spaces; not abbreviation periods. When I look at these paragraphs written with one space after the period I can barely see where sentences begin and end. It's way too compressed and is very difficult to read. If I had even a few abbreviations in the writing you would get the point quickly.

angel land Says:
10/7/2009 1:26:08 PM

cool.............

Drew Kime Says:
9/2/2009 10:08:56 PM

There's no such thing as a web page with two spaces. I just included about 20 spaces after that last period, and I'm going to put that many again after this one. When your browser displays the page it automatically converts any number of spaces to a single space. And here, I just added three blank lines. Even those are converted to a single space. So if you're telling yourself that you can see the difference when you type one space instead of two, then it's all in your head. Don't believe me? Highlight this comment, and click "View -> Selction Source" on the menu and you'll see all the extra spaces.

Teri Greene Says:
9/2/2009 7:54:51 PM

Some think two-spacing doesn't enhance readability. Some of us think it does. The younger you are, the more you've grown up acclimated to one space. But I bet if those folk scanned several webpages with two-spacing, most would agree it makes it easier and faster. The stories about how and why two spaces ever got started are interesting and I'm glad to read them, but they really aren't relevant to a style decision about the spaces. Many attempted changes in language and typography never caught on; others, like two spaces, became a standard -- because there was a benefit, regardless of how it began. I agree that readability should be the motive for typographical decisions, not the dictates of an unnamed programmer who's either inept at his job or lacks common sense. So I use two spaces. It doesn't reduce readability for anybody. Can't say that about one space. And if anyone has to convert every one of those double-spaces to singles by hand, on a computer more powerful than the ones that put a man on the moon, they need to consult with one of their geek friends.

noname Says:
8/28/2009 2:14:55 AM

Apostrophes denote possession or contraction. They are not used for pluralization. If you don't want it to read as "is" then use an italicized capital i and then a lowercase s.

Daniel Says:
8/28/2009 1:02:24 AM

I like double spacing, and I like the way double-spaced documents look. Double spacing avoids confusion, and it's traditional. Why not stick to it? Double spacing on your iPhone will automatically insert a period, which saves you two keystrokes. Economics is clearly on the side of double spacing -- time economics, that is. Students required to write 10-page papers obviously prefer to double space and save a few sentences of content. Courier is also preferable for that reason.

Leigh Ann Says:
8/19/2009 2:23:34 PM

Thank you for the interesting article and explanation on why one space has taken over. I still use two spaces in some situations. I don't think of it as antiquated but as more of a style choice (as you do mention later in the podcast). For example, I prefer two spaces on Web sites because people like to scan them and I believe this helps break up the visuals in the right places. I agree with you about submissions though. Using one space is a safer bet than two. I'd appreciate it if my writers did that! (Though I understand why they don't. I was taught always to use two spaces too.) Best regards, Leigh Ann Otte Managing Editor My Family Doctor magazine

David Says:
8/18/2009 2:59:47 PM

I first want to say that i love your newsletter and have learned some interesting stuff since reading it for a few years now. I am one that double spaces after a period. Call it habit or preference, I do this for the pure purpose of breaking up the sentences more clearly. The single spacing for me, in most cases, is not enough of a break from one sentence to another. Although the spacing from typewriters to computers is much different, the fonts you used to compare is not a fair assessment as times roman is a narrower font than courier, let alone courierPS (monospaced). I do understand when formatting web pages its standard to single space but for my personal use i stick with the double space unless i am tight on space at which point I would edit sentences then the extra spaces. Thanks for your continued education, hard work and great effort to band our illiterate generation to the new world of grammar greatness!

Krista Says:
8/18/2009 2:16:04 PM

Now that explains why everytime I submit an article for publishing the computer automatically takes out my extra spaces. I don't know, I still like the extra space. It breaks up the sentence more and reads better. I think I might stick to my old ways, for now.

Ellen Torgrimson Says:
8/18/2009 1:56:25 PM

One of your commenters (Kevin, 8/2/2009) provided a web link to a blog that points out one of the fallacies in the proportional font/kerning argument. I produce final documents for a consulting company using a justified paragraph style with a proportional font in MS Word. The spaces between sentences are not noticeably larger than those between words within a sentence. Maybe desktop publishing programs or web applications effectively adjust spacing between sentences, but in Word, the two spaces between sentences are needed to give that visual clue that one sentence is ending and another beginning. Readability, keeping in mind the hurried manner in which many documents are read these days, should be the motivating force behind style decisions, not some guideline based on software or tools other than those being used.

Nina Says:
8/18/2009 1:07:56 PM

I agree with the very first comment from Don. Two spaces after the period make the text much easier to read and, in some cases, eliminates ambiguity. I am sticking with two spaces!

Bob Says:
8/17/2009 4:11:05 PM

I understand that one space is the new standard, but it seems like a step backwards to me. Paragraphs, punctuation, and even spaces between words have been added over time to make reading easier. A little extra space to mean a little extra pause sounds like an easy way to continue the trend. And there’s an ambiguity problem as well. Consider this fragment: “… the U.S. Department of Agriculture …” That could be one sentence: “I asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson what was being done about the problem.” Or, it could be two: “Invasive pests are a problem in the U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers are working on solutions.” I add two spaces to mark the end of a sentence. It’s trivial to replace them with a single space, but the reverse process can be quite cumbersome. I guess I’m holding out the hope that a typesetter would want to replace every double space with an em-space or some other appropriate end-of-sentence delimiter. I realize that I’m on the losing side here, but I hope that sense will win out eventually!

Célèste Says:
8/17/2009 1:13:41 PM

This was a very interesting episode for me. I was home schooled (or is it home-schooled?), and my mom taught me to always use two spaces after a period, which never made much sense to me but I didn't question it. It wasn't until my freshman comp. class in college that I learned that a single space was acceptable and preferred. I never knew the change had to do with the advent of computers, but it makes perfect sense! My mom would have learned to type on a typewriter.

Lois Says:
8/16/2009 1:26:56 PM

To break the two space habit, turn on the feature in MS Word (or whatever) that puts a dot where you hit the space. That way you can see easily if you have an extra space. It made an immediate difference for me.

John Wills Lloyd Says:
8/11/2009 7:57:52 AM

Chelsea's comment about the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual reintroducing use of two spaces after sentence-ending punctuation (and colons) in manuscripts (not final publications) is correct. Over on SpaceWaste, my colleague Dan Hallahan and I are raising questions about the value of this recommendation. As Gordon Woolf noted, the glyph for a period automatically has some space embedded in it.

Gordon Says:
8/5/2009 3:18:22 PM

The whole issue goes back further than the typewriter. When publishers were working with lead type, the men (yes, men!) setting the type were paid by the line. By putting two pieces of spacing material after each sentence, they filled up more lines even faster. Hence, the habit of two spaces after each sentence. It boils down to economics not visual aesthetics.

Kris C Says:
8/4/2009 9:47:26 AM

Hi Grammar Girl...thanks for the info. It's also a matter of style. Just want to point out, though, that "more narrow" in "An "i" is more narrow than an "m," for example, and putting extra space between sentences doesn't do anything to improve readability." isn't grammatically correct - narrower should be the word of choice here. You were just keeping us on our toes, right? :)

Remo Says:
8/4/2009 1:16:39 AM

Sleepphones (your sponser) are a great idea. I often get tangled in a cord at night. But I cringed when you said "pajammas." No drama Obama likes his red pajamas, even while riding a lama in the Bahamas. ;-)

Stephen Says:
8/3/2009 1:55:39 PM

It's understandable that publishers want a single space since that takes up more, erm, space on the page and isn't usually necessary. However, when the word following an abbreviation is capitalized, you get confusion. Always using two spaces after the period at the end of sentences makes this clear -- and anyone who doesn't like them in documents they receive can easily use "Search and Replace" to get rid of the extras.

Chelsea Says:
8/3/2009 12:28:38 PM

The new 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual asks for two spaces after a period. I believe journal editors and reviewers were proponents toward this change because they find manuscripts easier to read with more white space between sentences.

Kevin Says:
8/2/2009 10:11:23 AM

It would be fascinating to track the shifting sands of "correctness" on this issue. I bet that in the past the “rules” changed so we could use state of the art technology in the best way. My guess is that when personal word processing technology shifted from primarily using fixed space fonts to variable space fonts the leaders in graphics design shifted the rules back to their “side” on this old pet peeve issue. My sense is that the number of spaces we put after a period is a less important these days. Typewriters are obsolete but we do still have fixed space fonts, so I'm going to let my thumb keep doing what it learned to do twenty years ago.

Kevin Says:
8/2/2009 9:16:29 AM

This blog posting has a good example of when having the extra space would have made an article less confusing. http://www.evolt.org/article/Two_Spaces_After_a_Period_Isn_t_Dead_Yet/25/213/

Drew Kime Says:
7/31/2009 8:11:18 PM

Well, HTML automatically treats *any* amount of whitespace as a single space. And to put my pedant hat back on again, why should "two spaces after a period" be considered a grammar rule? It's an artifact of monospaced typewriters. Is the choice between single- or double-spaced line height a grammar rule or a typesetting rule? Yes, double-spaced is more readable when using a typewriter, but the choice is not considered a grammar rule in the sense that it can be either right or wrong. And speaking of line spacing, is there any way to get the commenting system here to preserve line breaks? Long comments like Dave's (and like I suspect this one will be) are hard to read without the breaks.

Dave Says:
7/31/2009 7:50:15 PM

It's fun when an answer depends on more than one discipline. In this case, a more complete answer depends on both grammar and typography, as Drew implies. Regarding grammmar, you are correct (of course). Regarding typography, Donald E. Knuth writes, "...TeX puts extra space at the end of a sentence..it automatically increases the stretchability (and decreases the shrinkability) after punctuation marks. The reason is that it's usually better to put more space after punctuation than between ordinary words, when spreading a line out to reach the desired margins." Using simple programs, people can only choose an integer number of spaces, one of two. Using a monospaced font, people round up and use two spaces between sentences. This is their crude approximation to what Prof. Knuth is talking about. Using a proportionally spaced font, people round down to one space, but hope that their software can add that "extra" space between sentences. TeX has this formal concept of 'glue' that manages the stretchability of spaces. Does anyone know whether 'ordinary' programs do this?

Tom Says:
7/31/2009 7:33:31 PM

It isn't difficult to do a global find and replace to convert periods with two spaces to periods with one space. Besides, I bet if the page layout people were really clever, they'd write their software to only display a single space when it comes across the double space they way some software converts two hyphens to a dash.

Mercurywaxing Says:
7/31/2009 6:08:36 PM

I teach typing to elementary school students. Every keyboarding program I have come across still has users type two spaces after every period.

Lee Seitz Says:
7/31/2009 11:56:50 AM

For those few of us that still use the vi editor in *nix daily, two spaces is a must to have the sentence traversal commands work right. So until I stop using it, people will just have to put up with me using two spaces.

K, Chance Says:
7/31/2009 11:36:47 AM

It is nice to know how to write so you won't feel embersed, thank you

Drew Kime Says:
7/31/2009 9:35:42 AM

I'll be the pedant here: There is always a single space after a period. The question is *how wide* should that space be set for display? Then as a technical matter, how do you cause your display device to set to that width.