How Many Words Is a Page?
A common question when writing an essay or report: how many words fit on a page? The short answer depends on spacing and font, but here are the standard numbers, plus a quick way to check your own count.
As a rough rule, one page is about 500 words single-spaced or 250 words double-spaced, using a standard 12 point font like Times New Roman or Arial with normal margins. Handwriting is usually closer to 250 words per page.
Words per page at a glance
- 250 words = about 1 page double-spaced, half a page single-spaced.
- 500 words = about 1 page single-spaced, 2 pages double-spaced.
- 1000 words = about 2 pages single-spaced, 4 pages double-spaced.
- 1500 words = about 3 pages single-spaced, 6 pages double-spaced.
- 2000 words = about 4 pages single-spaced, 8 pages double-spaced.
What changes the words per page
Font size and family, line spacing, and margins all move the number. A larger font or double spacing means fewer words per page; a smaller font or single spacing means more. That is why teachers usually set a word count rather than a page count for an essay, since a word count cannot be padded with spacing tricks.
How long does a page take to read?
At an average reading speed of about 200 words per minute, a 500-word page takes roughly two and a half minutes to read. Reading aloud is slower, around 130 words per minute, which is handy to know for a speech or presentation.
Check your exact word count
Estimates are fine for planning, but to hit a target exactly, paste your text into a word counter. It shows your word count, character count, sentences, paragraphs and reading time as you type, so you always know where you stand against the limit.