How many pages is 1,000 words?
About two pages single-spaced and four double-spaced, at 12 point. A words-to-pages table, what changes the answer, and how to estimate pages for any word count.
Published
Tools for this job: Word Counter · Character Counter
Assignment briefs give word counts, but students think in pages. Publishers quote per page, but writers count words. The rough conversion is easy to remember, as long as you know the assumptions behind it.
Words to pages
With a standard 12-point font such as Times New Roman or Arial, 2.5 cm (1 inch) margins, and A4 or Letter paper:
| Words | Single | Double |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | ½ page | 1 page |
| 500 | 1 page | 2 pages |
| 1,000 | 2 pages | 4 pages |
| 1,500 | 3 pages | 6 pages |
| 2,000 | 4 pages | 8 pages |
| 3,000 | 6 pages | 12 pages |
| 5,000 | 10 pages | 20 pages |
The rule of thumb is about 500 words per single-spaced page and 250 per double-spaced page. Real pages vary by 10–20% either way.
What changes the answer
- Font: Arial and Calibri are wider than Times New Roman at the same size, so fewer words fit. Calibri 11, the Word default, fits more than Arial 12.
- Paragraph length: many short paragraphs leave half-empty lines, so dialogue-heavy or list-heavy text takes more pages.
- Headings, tables and images take space without adding words.
- Spacing between paragraphs set in the style, not just line spacing.
- 1.5 line spacing sits in between: roughly 330–350 words per page.
Count your words
Paste your text into the Word Counter. Set a target word count to see a progress bar, and check reading and speaking time at the same time. Divide the word count by 500 or 250 for a page estimate, or check the page count in your word processor with the required formatting.
Handwritten pages
Handwriting varies far more than type. Many people fit somewhere around 200–250 words on a lined A4 or Letter page, but small writers fit more. For a handwritten exam answer with a word target, count the words on one page of your own writing once, and use that figure.
Pages to words
Working the other way, a brief that asks for “five pages, double-spaced” is expecting around 1,250 words. If both a page count and a word count are given, the word count is usually the one that is checked. And if a brief gives only pages, padding with large fonts and margins is easy to spot; use the standard formatting it asks for.
Speaking time
For a speech, pages matter less than minutes. At a typical speaking pace, 1,000 words takes around seven to eight minutes. See how long it takes to read or say 1,000 words. For what counts towards an essay word limit, see what counts in an essay word count.