Word: Show or Hide Spaces and Formatting Marks

Yes. In Microsoft Word, you can show or hide spaces by turning on formatting marks: each ordinary space appears as a small dot, while paragraph breaks and other nonprinting characters have their own symbols. Use the Show/Hide button on the Home tab, or its keyboard shortcut, to inspect spacing and turn the marks off again.

Show or hide spaces in Word

Open the document and select Home > ¶ Show/Hide in the Paragraph group. The button looks like a pilcrow (¶). When the setting is on, Word displays dots between words to represent spaces. Select the button again to hide those marks.

On many Windows installations, you can also press Ctrl+Shift+8 (the 8 key, not necessarily the numeric keypad key). On a Mac, the commonly used shortcut is Command+8. Shortcuts and keyboard behavior can vary by platform, keyboard layout, and Word version, so the Home-tab button is a reliable alternative.

These dots are visual guides, not characters inserted into the document. They do not print, and turning them on does not change the text or layout. The same Show/Hide control can reveal paragraph marks, tab arrows, and other formatting marks.

What the dots mean

When formatting marks are visible, Word uses symbols to make normally invisible layout information easier to inspect. A dot between words generally represents a regular space typed with the space bar. A paragraph mark (¶) shows where a paragraph ends; an arrow usually represents a tab; and a small raised circle can represent a nonbreaking space, depending on the view and version.

For example, if a line shows Word·show·spaces¶, the dots indicate spaces between the words, and the final pilcrow indicates the paragraph’s end. The symbols are not part of the ordinary text a reader sees in the printed document.

Marks can help distinguish spacing that looks similar on screen. Two spaces between words appear as two dots, while one appears as one. A tab used to align text appears differently from a run of spaces. This can reveal why a heading or list item seems uneven, or why a line wraps unexpectedly.

Choose which formatting marks stay visible

The Show/Hide button toggles the display of formatting marks, but Word also provides options for controlling which marks appear. On Windows, open File > Options > Display and look for the section for formatting marks. On Mac, the corresponding settings are generally under Word > Preferences or Settings, then View; the exact labels can differ between releases.

Depending on the version, options may let you always show particular marks, such as spaces, paragraph marks, or tabs. These settings are useful if you routinely edit documents and want spaces visible without enabling every mark. The Show/Hide button remains useful for a quick, temporary view.

If a mark remains visible after you click the button, check whether its individual option is set to always display. Also check whether you are looking at a different document window or Word application; display preferences can behave differently across versions and platforms.

When showing spaces is useful

Formatting marks are most useful while editing, proofreading, or diagnosing layout problems. They help expose details that normal page view conceals, particularly in documents with tables, lists, copied text, or carefully arranged headings.

Finding extra spaces: See whether a sentence has two spaces after a period or whether several spaces have been used to push text into position.
Checking alignment: Distinguish tabs from spaces. Tabs are usually more dependable than repeated spaces for aligning text, although tables or paragraph settings may be better for structured layouts.
Understanding line breaks: A paragraph mark identifies a new paragraph. A manual line break, often shown as a bent arrow, moves text to a new line without starting a new paragraph.
Reviewing pasted text: Content copied from websites or other files can include tabs, extra spaces, or unusual breaks that affect formatting.

Showing marks does not repair a document automatically. It only makes the underlying editing structure easier to see, so you can decide whether to remove or replace something.

Common problems and misconceptions

“The dots are printing.” In ordinary use, formatting marks are editing aids and do not print. If a dot actually appears in a printed document or exported PDF, it may be a real typed character, a bullet, or another object—not merely the Show/Hide display for a space. Check the document in Print Preview and inspect the relevant text.

“The dots are in my file now.” Turning on Show/Hide changes what Word displays, not the words or spaces stored in the document. You can turn the marks off without deleting anything. Conversely, deleting a visible dot while editing removes the associated space, so avoid pressing Backspace or Delete unless you intend to change the text.

“There is a dot, but the gap acts strangely.” A visible space may be a nonbreaking space rather than an ordinary one, or the layout may be affected by paragraph settings, justification, or a line break. Nonbreaking spaces keep adjacent text together when a line wraps. Use Word’s Find feature or inspect the surrounding marks if you need to identify unusual spacing.

“Show/Hide does not change the page.” That is expected: the command reveals editing symbols rather than changing page formatting. If text is misaligned, inspect the marks and then correct the actual tabs, spaces, paragraph settings, or table layout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I show spaces in Word?
Select Home > ¶ Show/Hide. Word displays a dot for each regular space while formatting marks are turned on.

What is the shortcut to show spaces in Word?
Try Ctrl+Shift+8 on Windows or Command+8 on Mac. If the shortcut does not work with your keyboard or version, use the Show/Hide button on the Home tab.

How do I hide the dots between words?
Select Home > ¶ Show/Hide again, or use the same shortcut that turned the marks on. The spaces remain in the document; only their visual indicators disappear.

Will Word’s formatting marks print?
Formatting marks displayed by Show/Hide normally do not print. If a symbol appears in Print Preview or on paper, check whether it is an actual character or another document element.

Can I show spaces without showing paragraph marks?
In many desktop versions, yes. Open Word’s display or view preferences and select the option to always show spaces while leaving other formatting-mark options unchecked. Menu names vary by platform and release.

Using the feature without changing your document

Show spaces when you need to understand how text is arranged, then hide the marks when you want a cleaner editing view. The key distinction is simple: dots and similar symbols expose formatting information, while the actual spaces, tabs, and breaks determine how the document behaves. Use the marks to diagnose a problem, and edit the underlying characters or paragraph formatting only when a change is needed.

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