“Write three pages” and “write 1,500 words” can mean the same assignment or two very different ones. It depends on the font, the font size and, above all, the line spacing. This guide gives you the usual numbers: words per page for common settings, how many pages a given word count fills, and how long a text takes to read aloud.
The short answer
With 12 pt Times New Roman and 1-inch margins, a page holds about 500 words single-spaced and about 250 words double-spaced. These are the numbers most teachers and editors use as a rule of thumb.
To check your own text, paste it into the word counter. It counts words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and reading time as you type.
Words per page by font and spacing
| Font, 12 pt | Single-spaced | 1.5 spacing | Double-spaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Times New Roman | ≈ 500–550 | ≈ 350–400 | ≈ 250–275 |
| Arial | ≈ 450–500 | ≈ 300–350 | ≈ 225–250 |
| Calibri (11 pt) | ≈ 500–600 | ≈ 350–400 | ≈ 250–300 |
| Courier New | ≈ 350–400 | ≈ 250 | ≈ 175–200 |
All values are approximate for a US Letter or A4 page with 1-inch (2.5 cm) margins and no headings or images. Short paragraphs, dialogue, headings and long words all reduce the count.
How many words is 1, 2, 5 or 10 pages?
| Pages | Single-spaced | Double-spaced |
|---|---|---|
| 1 page | 500 words | 250 words |
| 2 pages | 1,000 words | 500 words |
| 3 pages | 1,500 words | 750 words |
| 4 pages | 2,000 words | 1,000 words |
| 5 pages | 2,500 words | 1,250 words |
| 10 pages | 5,000 words | 2,500 words |
| 20 pages | 10,000 words | 5,000 words |
How many pages is 500, 1,000 or 2,000 words?
| Words | Single-spaced | Double-spaced | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 0.6 pages | 1.2 pages | about 2½ min |
| 500 | 1 page | 2 pages | about 4 min |
| 750 | 1.5 pages | 3 pages | about 6 min |
| 1,000 | 2 pages | 4 pages | about 8 min |
| 1,500 | 3 pages | 6 pages | about 11½ min |
| 2,000 | 4 pages | 8 pages | about 15 min |
| 3,000 | 6 pages | 12 pages | about 23 min |
| 5,000 | 10 pages | 20 pages | about 38 min |
Speaking time is based on 130 words per minute, a calm presentation pace. Silent reading is faster, around 230 words per minute, so 1,000 words take a reader roughly 4 to 5 minutes.
Common word and character limits
| Text | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Common App personal essay | up to 650 words |
| UCAS personal statement | up to 4,000 characters including spaces |
| Cover letter | 250–400 words, one page |
| High school essay | 500–1,500 words |
| College paper | 1,500–5,000 words |
| Blog post | 800–2,000 words |
| 5-minute speech | about 650 words |
Always follow the exact instructions you were given: if a limit is set in words, the page count does not matter, and the reverse.
How to check the word count in Word and Google Docs
- Microsoft Word: the count appears in the status bar at the bottom. For details, go to Review → Word Count or press Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows.
- Google Docs: Tools → Word count or Ctrl+Shift+C. Tick “Display word count while typing” to keep it on screen.
- Pages: View → Show Word Count.
- Anywhere else: paste the text into the word counter. Nothing is uploaded; the count runs in your browser.
Different programs treat hyphenated words, numbers and URLs slightly differently, so small differences of one or two percent are normal.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a page double-spaced?
About 250 to 275 words with 12 pt Times New Roman and 1-inch margins, and about 225 to 250 with Arial.
How many words is a single-spaced page?
About 500 words with 12 pt Times New Roman, a little less with Arial and a little more with 11 pt Calibri.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced.
How many words is a handwritten page?
It varies widely with handwriting and paper, but a full page of lined paper usually holds around 200 to 250 words.
How long does it take to say 1,000 words?
About 7 to 8 minutes at a calm speaking pace of 130 words per minute.