In many LaTeX documents, lines do not break the way we expect. Even a simple formatting choice can change the look of the text. This happens because not all line break commands work the same way.
Using \newline
The \newline command is used in normal text mode to break a line without starting a new paragraph. It simply ends the current line and continues on the next line in a safe and predictable way.
This makes it a good choice for beginners who want simple manual line breaks inside text.
This is the first line.\newline
This is the second line.
Using \\
The \\ command is a more general line break command that is designed for structured environments. It is commonly used inside tables, arrays, and math alignment environments.
Using \\ in normal text is possible, but it can produce warnings or uneven spacing, so it should be used carefully.
This is the first line.\\
This is the second line.
Using \\ with Vertical Space
The \\ command can take an optional argument to add extra vertical space after a line break. This feature is useful when you need controlled spacing between lines, especially in tables or math layouts.
\\[length]
length- This value controls how much vertical space is added after the line break. You can use units like em, pt, cm, or mm depending on your needs. The space affects only the vertical distance to the next line.
First line\\[1em]
Second line\\[10pt]
Third line
Key Differences Between \newline and \\
Both commands create a new line, but they are meant for different situations. \newline is limited to text mode and keeps spacing natural, which makes it safer for paragraphs. The \\ command is environment-dependent and allows extra vertical spacing.
% Preferred in text
This is text.\newline More text.
% Preferred in environments
\begin{tabular}{l}
First row\\[5pt]
Second row
\end{tabular}
