Words to pages calculator
Enter your word count and pick the font, size and line spacing your assignment asks for. The calculator shows how many pages that fills, plus reading and speaking time. For example, 1,500 words is about 3 pages single-spaced or 6 pages double-spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins.
1,500 words is about
6 pages
Times New Roman, 12 pt, double spaced: about 250 words per page. Single spaced it would be 3 pages. Reading time about 6 minutes; speaking time about 12 minutes.
Worked example: 2,000 words in Arial 11 pt, 1.5 spaced
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Font | Arial at 12 pt, single spaced, fills a page with about | 450 words |
| Size | 11 pt letters are smaller both ways: (12 ÷ 11)² = 1.19, so 450 × 1.19 | 536 words |
| Spacing | 1.5 spacing fits fewer lines: 536 ÷ 1.5 | 357 words per page |
| Pages | 2,000 ÷ 357, rounded to the nearest quarter page | 5.5 pages |
| Time | 2,000 ÷ 238 words a minute read silently; ÷ 130 spoken | 8 min / 15 min |
Words to pages chart
Typical page counts for common word limits, in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins on letter-size paper.
| Words | Single spaced | 1.5 spaced | Double spaced | Handwritten (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0.5 | 0.75 | 1 | 1 |
| 300 | 0.5 | 1 | 1.25 | 1.25 |
| 400 | 0.75 | 1.25 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 500 | 1 | 1.5 | 2 | 2 |
| 600 | 1.25 | 1.75 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 750 | 1.5 | 2.25 | 3 | 3 |
| 800 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| 1,000 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 1,200 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.75 | 4.75 |
| 1,500 | 3 | 4.5 | 6 | 6 |
| 1,750 | 3.5 | 5.25 | 7 | 7 |
| 2,000 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| 2,500 | 5 | 7.5 | 10 | 10 |
| 3,000 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 12 |
| 3,500 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 14 |
| 4,000 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 16 |
| 5,000 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 20 |
| 6,000 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 24 |
| 7,500 | 15 | 23 | 30 | 30 |
| 10,000 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 40 |
How the words to pages estimate works
A standard page (US Letter, 1-inch margins, 12 pt Times New Roman, single spaced) holds about 500 words of ordinary prose. From there the calculator adjusts for three things.
Spacing, size and font
Spacing divides the words per page. Double spacing fits half as many lines, so about 250 words; 1.5 spacing fits two thirds as many. Font size changes both the width and the height of each letter, so the effect is squared: going from 12 pt to 14 pt fits roughly (12/14)² ≈ 73% as many words. Font matters because typefaces have different widths at the same point size. Arial, Helvetica and Verdana are wider than Times New Roman; Calibri and Garamond are narrower. Courier New gives every letter the same width, so a narrow i takes as much room as a W, and it fits far fewer words.
What the estimate leaves out
The figures assume continuous paragraphs. Headings, short dialogue lines, block quotes, bullet lists, tables, a title page and a reference list all add pages, because each one leaves part of a line or page empty. Long words and technical vocabulary fill pages faster than everyday writing. Paragraph spacing ("space after" in Word or Google Docs) also adds up: a 10 pt gap after each paragraph can push a long essay onto an extra page.
Margins and paper size change the text area. With 1-inch margins, an A4 page has about 4% more room than US Letter, because it is longer and only slightly narrower. If your left and right margins are 1.25 inches, each line is 6 inches instead of 6.5, so expect about 8% fewer words per page.
Assignments and manuscripts
When a teacher sets a page count without other rules, the usual assumption is 12 pt Times New Roman, double spaced, 1-inch margins, which is about 250 words a page. Working backwards, multiply the page count by the words per page to get a word target. If the assignment gives a word count, that number wins: page counts move with every setting, word counts do not. Many publishers and agents still talk about manuscript pages at roughly 250 words each, which matches double spacing.
Reading and speaking time
Reading time uses 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction in a large review of studies. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a steady pace for a speech or presentation with pauses. Fast talkers reach 160 or more; nervous speakers often run faster than they plan.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single spaced or 4 pages double spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman.
How many pages is 2,000 words?
About 4 pages single spaced, 6 pages at 1.5 spacing, or 8 pages double spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman.
How many words is a 5-page essay?
About 1,250 words double spaced, or 2,500 words single spaced, in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins.
How many words fit on one page?
About 500 words single spaced and 250 double spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman. Arial fits about 450 single spaced, and Courier New only about 290.
Does A4 paper hold more words than US Letter?
Slightly. With 1-inch margins, A4 has about 4% more text area, which usually means a line or two more per page. The page counts here are for US Letter.