Words per page
These come from full pages of ordinary paragraphs, measured in Microsoft Word on a Letter page with 1 inch margins:
| Spacing | Times New Roman 12 pt | Arial 12 pt |
|---|---|---|
| Single | About 670 words | 590 to 630 words |
| 1.5 lines | About 450 words | 400 to 425 words |
| Double | About 335 words | 290 to 310 words |
Pages for common word counts
In 12 pt Times New Roman:
| Words | Single spaced | Double spaced |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | Under half a page | About 3/4 of a page |
| 500 | About 3/4 of a page | About 1.5 pages |
| 750 | About 1.1 pages | About 2.2 pages |
| 1,000 | About 1.5 pages | About 3 pages |
| 1,500 | About 2.2 pages | About 4.5 pages |
| 2,000 | About 3 pages | About 6 pages |
| 3,000 | About 4.5 pages | About 9 pages |
| 5,000 | About 7.5 pages | About 15 pages |
A title page, headings and a reference list all take room without adding many words, so allow a little extra.
Why other sites say 2 pages
Plenty of sites go by a rule of thumb of 500 words a page single spaced and 250 double spaced, which makes 1,000 words 2 or 4 pages. That rule is cautious on purpose: it leaves room for headings, short paragraphs, dialogue and bigger fonts. A full page of plain paragraphs in Times New Roman simply holds more.
Neither number is wrong, they measure different pages. If a teacher or editor asks for a number of pages, check which font and spacing they mean, or ask for a word count instead.
What changes the page count
- Font. Arial is wider than Times New Roman, so a page holds roughly 10% fewer words.
- Size. 11 pt fits more on a page and 14 pt fits less.
- Spacing. Double spacing halves the words on a page.
- Margins. 1 inch is the usual default. Wider margins mean fewer words.
- Layout. Short paragraphs, lists and headings leave white space, so fewer words fit.
Count your own text
- Open the Word Counter and paste your text.
- Read Words and Characters next to your text.
- Pages shows how many single spaced pages your text fills, as a whole number, so 1,000 words shows 2. For double spaced, divide your words by 335.
- Have a limit, like 650 words for an essay? Type it in the word limit box to see how many words are left, or how many over.
- Highlight part of your text to count just that part.
It counts words the same way Microsoft Word does, and your text never leaves your device.