One Space or Two?

One of my subscribers writes 'I can't hold my tongue any longer...not that that is fun or anything, I just had to tell you something! Just a tiny 'lil thing. You have 2 spaces after each period. Unless you are typing on an "old fashioned" typewriter, on a computer you use only one space. This is part of my business, graphic design. I hate to criticize but I know you want to be professional and that stands out. It creates a visual break in the copy making it like a stutter in reading. This is a common mistake for those not "in the field".'

I love that my subscribers are reading my copy carefully. My readers need this formatting tip to write their own copy. There's lots of contradictory information on www.google.com if you ask the question of 1 space or 2 spaces at the end of a sentence. Even though it isn't the subject of friendly mail, angry mail, or even 'thought you oughta know' mail, I am always open to tips from the graphic design side to help me improve my site.

Let's talk about the evolution of writing copy. I learned in Journalism School to use 2 spaces at the end of a sentence because we were taught to write using a typewriter. We didn't even think about the why, but adding that extra space at end of each sentence was simply for readability until the personal computer became a household word and changed all that.

It helps to understand the lost language of 'typewriterese', because the letter "W" takes up as much space as a "1" on the original typewriter. Skinny letters take less space while wide letters take up more space so the extra space added after each sentence make it easier to see where one sentence stops and the next begins.

Just like the computer today, the space- efficient Linotype machine was a revolutionary machine used by newspapers and print shops. The operator filled each letter and space with a line o' type cast in lead. Wedges were used for spaces, rectangles for letters. If the operator used 2 spaces or 2 wedges it gummed up the line o' type, so only 1 space was used. Of course, the publishing industry embraced 1 space long before that and continues to follow that rule.

A copyeditor at The University of Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style) thinks, "In our efficient, modern world, there is not room for 2 spaces at the end of a sentence."

Publishers want single spaces after periods. Most desktop publishers believe desktop publishing (electronic type-setting) should follow the commercial publishers rule, "One space at the end of a sentence."

Two spaces can cause problems with line breaks in certain programs. Web pages use only one space between sentences. HTML is set up to only display one space no matter how many are typed. A browser, like Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer, will only display one.

Should sentences be separated by 1 or 2 spaces? Yes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

International copywriting trainer, author and speaker, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero has been a freelance writer and journalist for over 25 years. Her words have made her clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now she focuses her vast experience on teaching others the skill of copywriting. Lorrie is the author of a highly acclaimed copywriting course, creator of the Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp and founder of Copy Campus, a unique membership resource site designed to support copywriters and entrepreneurs on all levels. Visit her site to learn more at http://www.red-hot-copy.com.

---

How to Use Articles to Generate Free Traffic to Your Website

Writing articles that are available for reprint is an excellent... Read More

Should You Hire a Famous Writer or Write Your Own Articles?

Proven and Exceptional Click-Through ResultsTesting has proven again and again... Read More

Broaden Your Customer Base: Submit Articles!

If you are going to be writing articles to promote... Read More

10 Profitable Tips For Article Writers

1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More

How to Use Autoresponders With Your Articles

Now that you see that articles are the number one... Read More

How to Write a Short Article Under 500 Words

Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More

Using Anecdotes - Remember, People Like to Read About People

Okay, I admit it: I'm a keen people-watcher. (Most writers... Read More

Six Whys of Writing

You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More

Advertisements and the Freelance Writer

Advertisements are one of the biggest indicators of a magazine's... Read More

Writers Block - Find an Article Topic in Minutes Anytime Anywhere with These 7 Tips Guaranteed!

One question I get asked all the time is how... Read More

How To Write and Publish A Successful Ezine Article

The ezine article is of major importance to the world... Read More

Why a Good-Quality Photo Should Accompany Your Articles

I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More

Understanding That Online Writing is Business Writing Will Make You a Fortune

Never before in the history of the business of writing... Read More

The 2 Headed Dragon: Let Others Publish Your Material and Keep Your Site Unique

Is Putting your Articles in the Public Domain really a... Read More

How To Write A Profit Pulling Article

Having an article published is one of the fastest and... Read More

Article Writing: SEO, Expert Authors and the Dumbification of the Internet

Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More

Writing for Dollars - How To Get Started

"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More

How to Write Money-Making How-To Reports

This is the "real" Money Maker in the Mail Order... Read More

A Writers Glossary (Part One)

Find definitions from A to G! A About... Read More

Writing Articles Sells Books

Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More

Whats YOUR Angle?

So how can you make your article worth reading?It's all... Read More

Newbies Guide to Writing and Submitting Ezine Articles

How many times have you read the following? If you... Read More

3 Article Outline Essentials

Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More

How An Online Writer Can Easily Self-publish Their Way To A Fortune

Online writing is really self-publishing made easier and potentially much... Read More

Creating Your Perfect Article Summary ? 7 Tips

What should be in your article summary? It's otherwise known... Read More

5 Plus One Internet Marketing Strategies to Improve Article Quality to Increase WebTraffic

Writing quality articles is time consuming for the very best... Read More

10 Ways Writing Articles Can Improve Your Business

Writing articles has proven time and time again to be... Read More

How I Became An EzineArticles.com Platnium Member in One-Hour Flat & How You Can Too

[Disclosure: I went into EzineArticles.com very innocently. I... Read More

1000 Ways to Improve Your Business

One of the best things you can do for your... Read More

Tracking Your Articles Properly

Writing articles related to your business is a great way... Read More

Article Marketing: Why 2 URLs Equal Pure Champagne

If you are using articles to promote your business then... Read More

$1036 in 12-hours From Writing A Single Article

Would it be worth it to master a technique that... Read More

Top 7 Tips For Submitting Articles Online

Online PR in the form of website and ezine article... Read More