counter-word

Pages to words

Working to a page limit? Write to a word target instead. It is the only number you can actually check while drafting. Paste your draft to see where you stand.

Your text
Your draft, by format

Numbers appear here once you add text.

Word targets for common page counts

In 12pt Times New Roman with one-inch margins. Aim for the middle of each range — headings and paragraph breaks eat space that these figures assume is filled with prose.

PagesDouble-spaced1.5 spacingSingle-spaced
1 page250 words330 words500 words
2 pages500 words670 words1,000 words
3 pages750 words1,000 words1,500 words
4 pages1,000 words1,330 words2,000 words
5 pages1,250 words1,670 words2,500 words
7 pages1,750 words2,330 words3,500 words
10 pages2,500 words3,330 words5,000 words
15 pages3,750 words5,000 words7,500 words
20 pages5,000 words6,670 words10,000 words

Budget for the things that are not prose

A page limit covers everything on the page. Before setting your word target, subtract space for:

  • The title block: a title, name and date can take a quarter of the first page.
  • Headings. Each one costs roughly a line and a half once spacing is counted.
  • Block quotes — indented and often single-spaced, so they hold more words per inch than body text.
  • Figures and tables — measure them; they rarely land where you expect after a reflow.
  • The reference list: usually excluded from page limits, but confirm rather than assume.
Write to about 90 % of your calculated target, then fit the final version to the page. Cutting to fit is quicker and produces better prose than padding to fill.

Common questions

How many words is 5 pages, double-spaced?

About 1,250 words in 12pt Times New Roman with one-inch margins. Single-spaced, five pages holds roughly 2,500 words.

Should I write to the word target or the page count?

Draft to the word target, because you can measure it continuously. Check the page count once at the end in the exact format you will submit, since that is what the limit actually governs.

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