Abstract: A text formatter for a word processor formats text as groups of words, a group being more than a single line at a time. The formatter determines the minimum number of lines required to hold the formatted group. In general, each line contains the maximum number of words that will fit, consistent with the applicable formatting parameters such as margins, font size, etc. However, the formatter may override this and move a word or portion of a word onto a subsequent line, even though it would fit on the original line, provided that the minimum number of lines required to format the group is not thereby exceeded. This is done in order to reduce hyphenation, letter spacing, or other undesirable formatting effects. Preferably, an entire paragraph is formatted as a group. The formatter generates multiple permutations of possible formatted text lines, assigning a weighted value to each permutation, and pruning undesirable permutations.