How Many Words Per Page? A Word Count Guide
"How many words is that?" comes up constantly — for essays, articles, speeches, and posts. This guide gives you quick reference tables for pages, reading time, and common limits. To count your own text instantly, use the free word counter.
Quick answer: a standard page holds about 250 words double-spaced or 500 words single-spaced (12pt, Times New Roman). Reading speed averages about 225 words per minute.
Words per page
The number of words on a page depends on font, size, spacing, and margins. Using a standard 12pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins, these are the common estimates:
| Spacing | Words per page |
|---|---|
| Single-spaced | ~500 words |
| 1.5 spacing | ~375 words |
| Double-spaced | ~250 words |
How many pages is my word count?
| Word count | Double-spaced | Single-spaced |
|---|---|---|
| 250 words | 1 page | ½ page |
| 500 words | 2 pages | 1 page |
| 1,000 words | 4 pages | 2 pages |
| 1,500 words | 6 pages | 3 pages |
| 2,000 words | 8 pages | 4 pages |
| 5,000 words | 20 pages | 10 pages |
Reading and speaking time
Silent reading averages about 225 words per minute; reading aloud or presenting is slower, around 130 words per minute. Handy when you're timing a speech or estimating how long an article will take.
| Word count | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|
| 100 words | ~30 seconds | ~45 seconds |
| 500 words | ~2 minutes | ~4 minutes |
| 1,000 words | ~4½ minutes | ~8 minutes |
| 2,000 words | ~9 minutes | ~15 minutes |
Common word and character limits
Many places cap your length. A few you'll run into often:
| Where | Typical limit |
|---|---|
| SEO meta description | ~155–160 characters |
| SEO title tag | ~60 characters |
| X / Twitter post | 280 characters |
| College admissions essay | ~500–650 words |
| Standard blog post | ~1,000–2,000 words |
Counting characters (with and without spaces) matters most for the ones measured in characters — the counter shows both.
Frequently asked questions
How many words are on a page?
About 250 double-spaced or 500 single-spaced, in standard 12pt Times New Roman. Font and margins shift the exact figure.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
Roughly 4 pages double-spaced or 2 pages single-spaced.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4–5 minutes at an average reading speed of ~225 words per minute.
How do I count words in my text?
Paste it into the word counter — it instantly shows words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time.
More guides
Need an exact count? Paste your text into the free word counter — words, characters, reading time, and more, updated as you type.