Two spaces vs. one

[Laughing]

When you're writing a paragraph or anything besides one single sentence, are you supposed to use two spaces between sentences, or one? Because I've always only used one--that's how we were taught in school--but I've noticed others using two. I have a friend who is about ten years older than me, and she uses two, and so do my parents. So is just a generational thing, or is there an actual rule that just got out of practice?

[Nittanylizard]

Typically it was two spaces between sentences, which is the way I was taught. However, associated press (i.e. newspaper) convention has been to use one space, which is what many printers/publishers are now using.

There's currently no set rule about this. I still use two spaces, but using just one is becoming more conventional.

Even when writing original stuff, though, nobody is going to reject your work based on whether you used one or two spaces, because publishers fix those kinds of formatting issues to whatever their standards are. So it's fine to use whichever one you're comfortable with.

[latch22]

My mum uses two spaces because she was taught that that was proper. I was taught that you could use whichever you prefer, so I use only one. Both are correct. Preference is the only issue here.

[Keira]

I use one space, but when I'm trying to use up space, I use two... doesn't tend to make ANY difference, but it makes me feel like it does. Reports, essays, whatever... they all get the two-space treatment

[Laughing]

Thanks. Good to know.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

Yeah, it is.

[dramaholic74]

In school, I was taught two spaces(in first grade, I think we had to put two fingers after a word) but I only use one.

[kdlaxgoalie]

I was only taught one space. I think two spaces was more for typewriters. Computers automatically make things less crowded and easier to read, which was why people used two to begin with.