Number of spaces after a sentence.

When typing on a computer: one space after a sentence. Two spaces are a throw-back from the typing days.

My understanding is the word-processing programs adjust the kerning after periods to create adequate space.

And welcome to A2K, Nancy!

Thank you so much. I am very happy to have found this site.

That's what I'd say, too. Didn't realize it was from kerning, but it makes sense.

There's probably a citation you can find for one of the style manuals... did you Google it, Nancy?

<~Welcome, BTW!~>

Hi, and welcome to A2K!

This is one of my very favorite pet peeves... on old fashioned typewriters where all the letters were the same width, you needed two spaces after a sentence to make a large enough space so the eye recognized a break.

What happens to periods (and other sentence-ending punctuation) in modern word processing is not technically kerning, which is adjusting the white space between letters, but the fact that each letter is given its own amount of space -- an l is much narrower than an m, for instance. In these proportional fonts, periods are given a little more white space to their right, so they give a visually larger space after the sentence.

The result is the space after your sentence is large enough to make a break your eye recognizes. There's no longer any need to hit the space bar twice -- unless, for some reason, you are using a monospace (all letters the same width) font like Courier.

If you look at printed books you'll see that, since they have always used proportional fonts, they are printed with a single space after the period. It's only monospace typewriters that demanded two spaces and, for nearly all purposes, that day is over.

Hi Nancy and welcome. I agree with all the responses here. Unfortunately, my right thumb does not. It continues to hit the space bar twice. I'm trying to break it of the habit. No luck so far, as you can see from this post.

You and me both, Roberta. Hitting the space bar twice after end punctuation is as much of a reflex for me as the well-known knee-jerk. Been doing it for more years than I care to admit and will probably never break out of that particular habit.

Two spaces were good enough fer my granddaddy, they'll do for you . . .

There was another thread on this subject, though I don't know if it was on A2K or not. I remember it got quite heated. I found that very funny that a subject about 1 or 2 spaces got so heated; therefore, it must have been on Abuzz

Thanks for the info, Wy.

Setanta, Get with the times, kid.

I haven't been out of high school for that long. I used 2 spaces then and I use 2 now.

They still teach type writing in high school?

It helps on computer keyboards, also

I, too, use two.

But Word won't let me get away with it -- so it is a losing battle.

They taught it in my high school. Catholic school with a few old nuns floating around, they still had those huge 100 lbs typewriters. I was pretty good - about 120 words a minute. Then I didn't practice anymore and I've forgotten all of it.

rules were made to broken.....if it harms no one..do as you will.

I seems that I alltoo oftenuse nospaces. But then agin, nevah saidi was perfedt........

At the risk of coming off as a pedant (and I've been called worse, believe me), one space after a period is right. I earn my dough as an editor, for what it's worth.

Of course, one can do whatever feels good, but there is a correct answer to this question...

Let the slagging begin!

It is funny how many of us know we are pedantic. (I'm not sure if this is a GOOD thing!) When I was still actually working, as opposed to my current lazing around, I was accused of being pedantic in a business meeting. Well, gee, I thought, as the tech. writer here, ISN'T that my job? Apparently so, as the accuser soon lost his contract and mine stayed happily intact.

BPB -- Did you know that you quoted the ending of the Wiccan Rede?