triple-space
LowTechnical, Formal
Definition
Meaning
To type or format text with two blank lines between lines of text (i.e., leaving three lines of vertical space in total).
The resulting format where text is set with two empty lines between each line of type; the action of inserting this type of spacing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an instruction or formatting term. The verb refers to the action, the noun (less common) to the format itself. Most often encountered in style guides or document formatting contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. The concept is identical. American usage may be slightly more common due to earlier prevalence of specific style guides (e.g., MLA for academic papers).
Connotations
Neutral and functional in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects. It is a niche term from the era of typewriters and early word processing, now largely archaic or restricted to very specific legacy formatting rules.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[User] + triple-space + [Document] (transitive verb)[Document] + be + triple-spaced (passive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in very formal, legacy document preparation guidelines.
Academic
Historically used in specific style manuals (e.g., for thesis drafts, certain submissions). Now largely replaced by 'double-spacing'.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used in precise typography, document formatting specifications, or when discussing historical typing/word processing practices.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Please triple-space your dissertation draft before sending it to your supervisor.
- The style guide explicitly states to triple-space all lengthy quotations.
American English
- The submission guidelines require you to triple-space the entire manuscript.
- I had to triple-space my paper to meet the page count requirement in a deceptive way.
adjective
British English
- Submit a triple-spaced copy for the examiner's annotations.
- The draft appeared enormous in its triple-spaced format.
American English
- A triple-spaced document is much easier to mark up with comments.
- He handed in a triple-spaced report that was frustratingly lengthy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher said we must triple-space our essays.
- My document looks longer because it is triple-spaced.
- According to the publisher's guidelines, appendices should be triple-spaced to allow for editorial notes.
- Before the age of digital editing, triple-spacing was common to provide space for handwritten corrections.
- The archivist requested that the transcription be triple-spaced to facilitate the insertion of paleographic commentary alongside the text.
- While modern style sheets favour double-spacing, certain legal drafts retain the archaic practice of triple-spacing for clauses.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a triple-decker bus: the three 'decks' are like the three lines of vertical space (one text line + two blank lines) created by triple-spacing.
Conceptual Metaphor
SPACING AS A MEASURABLE QUANTITY (like a recipe: 'single', 'double', 'triple').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводится дословно как 'тройной пробел' (что означает горизонтальный пробел между словами). Речь идёт именно о вертикальных интервалах между строками текста.
- Можно описать как 'делать два промежутка между строками' или 'форматировать с двойным межстрочным интервалом' (поскольку в русской традиции отсчёт иной).
Common Mistakes
- Using it to mean 'three single spaces' (e.g., between words).
- Confusing it with 'double-space' (which leaves one blank line).
- Using it as a noun more commonly than the verb.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'triple-space' specifically instruct you to do?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially, yes. In modern word processors, 'triple-spacing' would correspond to setting line spacing to 3.0, which means the height of each line is three times the height of a single-spaced line.
Historically, it was used on typewritten documents (like thesis drafts or manuscripts) to leave ample room for proofreader's marks, corrections, and editorial comments between the lines.
Double-spacing leaves one blank line between lines of text. Triple-spacing leaves two blank lines between lines of text, creating even more vertical space.
No, it is quite rare. Most contemporary style guides (e.g., APA, MLA) specify double-spacing. 'Triple-space' is largely an archaic or very specialised term from specific historical or technical formatting contexts.