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College Essays

Figuring out your college essay can be one of the most difficult parts of applying to college. Even once you've read the prompt and picked a topic, you might wonder: if you write too much or too little, will you blow your chance of admission? How long should a college essay be?

Whether you're a terse writer or a loquacious one, we can advise you on college essay length. In this guide, we'll cover what the standard college essay length is, how much word limits matter, and what to do if you aren't sure how long a specific essay should be.

How Long Is a College Essay? First, Check the Word Limit

You might be used to turning in your writing assignments on a page-limit basis (for example, a 10-page paper). While some colleges provide page limits for their college essays, most use a word limit instead. This makes sure there's a standard length for all the essays that a college receives, regardless of formatting or font.

In the simplest terms, your college essay should be pretty close to, but not exceeding, the word limit in length. Think within 50 words as the lower bound, with the word limit as the upper bound. So for a 500-word limit essay, try to get somewhere between 450-500 words. If they give you a range, stay within that range.

College essay prompts usually provide the word limit right in the prompt or in the instructions.

For example, the University of Illinois says :

"You'll answer two to three prompts as part of your application. The questions you'll answer will depend on whether you're applying to a major or to our undeclared program , and if you've selected a second choice . Each response should be approximately 150 words."

As exemplified by the University of Illinois, the shortest word limits for college essays are usually around 150 words (less than half a single-spaced page). Rarely will you see a word limit higher than around 650 words (over one single-spaced page). College essays are usually pretty short: between 150 and 650 words. Admissions officers have to read a lot of them, after all!

Weigh your words carefully, because they are limited!

How Flexible Is the Word Limit?

But how flexible is the word limit? What if your poignant anecdote is just 10 words too long—or 100 too short?

Can I Go Over the Word Limit?

If you are attaching a document and you need one or two extra words, you can probably get away with exceeding the word limit by such a small amount. Some colleges will actually tell you that exceeding the word limit by 1-2 words is fine. However, I advise against exceeding the word limit unless it's explicitly allowed for a few reasons:

First, you might not be able to. If you have to copy-paste it into a text box, your essay might get cut off and you'll have to trim it down anyway.

If you exceed the word limit in a noticeable way, the admissions counselor may just stop reading your essay past that point. This is not good for you.

Following directions is actually a very important part of the college application process. You need to follow directions to get your letters of recommendation, upload your essays, send supplemental materials, get your test scores sent, and so on and so forth. So it's just a good general rule to follow whatever instructions you've been given by the institution. Better safe than sorry!

Can I Go Under the Word Limit?

If you can truly get your point across well beneath the word limit, it's probably fine. Brevity is not necessarily a bad thing in writing just so long as you are clear, cogent, and communicate what you want to.

However, most college essays have pretty tight word limits anyways. So if you're writing 300 words for an essay with a 500-word limit, ask yourself: is there anything more you could say to elaborate on or support your points? Consult with a parent, friend, or teacher on where you could elaborate with more detail or expand your points.

Also, if the college gives you a word range, you absolutely need to at least hit the bottom end of the range. So if you get a range from the institution, like 400-500 words, you need to write at least 400 words. If you write less, it will come across like you have nothing to say, which is not an impression you want to give.

What If There Is No Word Limit?

Some colleges don't give you a word limit for one or more of your essay prompts. This can be a little stressful, but the prompts generally fall into a few categories:

Writing Sample

Some colleges don't provide a hard-and-fast word limit because they want a writing sample from one of your classes. In this case, a word limit would be very limiting to you in terms of which assignments you could select from.

For an example of this kind of prompt, check out essay Option B at Amherst :

"Submit a graded paper from your junior or senior year that best represents your writing skills and analytical abilities. We are particularly interested in your ability to construct a tightly reasoned, persuasive argument that calls upon literary, sociological or historical evidence. You should NOT submit a laboratory report, journal entry, creative writing sample or in-class essay."

While there is usually no word limit per se, colleges sometimes provide a general page guideline for writing samples. In the FAQ for Option B , Amherst clarifies, "There is no hard-and-fast rule for official page limit. Typically, we anticipate a paper of 4-5 pages will provide adequate length to demonstrate your analytical abilities. Somewhat longer papers can also be submitted, but in most cases should not exceed 8-10 pages."

So even though there's no word limit, they'd like somewhere in the 4-10 pages range. High school students are not usually writing papers that are longer than 10 pages anyways, so that isn't very limiting.

Implicit Length Guideline

Sometimes, while there's no word (or even page) limit, there's still an implicit length guideline. What do I mean by this?

See, for example, this Western Washington University prompt :

“Describe one or more activities you have been involved in that have been particularly meaningful. What does your involvement say about the communities, identities or causes that are important to you?”

While there’s no page or word limit listed here, further down on page the ‘essay tips’ section explains that “ most essay responses are about 500 words, ” though “this is only a recommendation, not a firm limit.” This gives you an idea of what’s reasonable. A little longer or shorter than 500 words would be appropriate here. That’s what I mean by an “implicit” word limit—there is a reasonable length you could go to within the boundaries of the prompt.

But what's the proper coffee-to-paragraph ratio?

Treasure Hunt

There is also the classic "treasure hunt" prompt. No, it's not a prompt about a treasure hunt. It's a prompt where there are no length guidelines given, but if you hunt around on the rest of the website you can find length guidelines.

For example, the University of Chicago provides seven "Extended Essay" prompts . You must write an essay in response to one prompt of your choosing, but nowhere on the page is there any guidance about word count or page limit.

However, many colleges provide additional details about their expectations for application materials, including essays, on FAQ pages, which is true of the University of Chicago. On the school’s admissions Frequently Asked Questions page , they provide the following length guidelines for the supplemental essays: 

“We suggest that you note any word limits for Coalition or Common Application essays; however, there are no strict word limits on the UChicago Supplement essays. For the extended essay (where you choose one of several prompts), we suggest that you aim for around 650 words. While we won't, as a rule, stop reading after 650 words, we're only human and cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention indefinitely. For the “Why UChicago?” essay, we suggest about 250-500 words. The ideas in your writing matter more than the exact number of words you use!”

So there you go! You want to be (loosely) in the realm of 650 for the extended essay, and 250-500 words for the “Why UChicago?” essay.

Help! There Really Is No Guidance on Length

If you really can't find any length guidelines anywhere on the admissions website and you're at a loss, I advise calling the admissions office. They may not be able to give you an exact number (in fact, they probably won't), but they will probably at least be able to tell you how long most of the essays they see are. (And keep you from writing a panicked, 20-page dissertation about your relationship with your dog).

In general, 500 words or so is pretty safe for a college essay. It's a fairly standard word limit length, in fact. (And if you're wondering, that's about a page and a half double-spaced.) 500 words is long enough to develop a basic idea while still getting a point across quickly—important when admissions counselors have thousands of essays to read!

"See? It says 500 words right there in tiny font!"

The Final Word: How Long Should a College Essay Be?

The best college essay length is usually pretty straightforward: you want to be right under or at the provided word limit. If you go substantially past the word limit, you risk having your essay cut off by an online application form or having the admissions officer just not finish it. And if you're too far under the word limit, you may not be elaborating enough.

What if there is no word limit? Then how long should a college essay be? In general, around 500 words is a pretty safe approximate word amount for a college essay—it's one of the most common word limits, after all!

Here's guidance for special cases and hunting down word limits:

If it's a writing sample of your graded academic work, the length either doesn't matter or there should be some loose page guidelines.

There also may be implicit length guidelines. For example, if a prompt says to write three paragraphs, you'll know that writing six sentences is definitely too short, and two single-spaced pages is definitely too long.

You might not be able to find length guidelines in the prompt, but you could still hunt them up elsewhere on the website. Try checking FAQs or googling your chosen school name with "admissions essay word limit."

If there really is no word limit, you can call the school to try to get some guidance.

With this advice, you can be sure you've got the right college essay length on lockdown!

Hey, writing about yourself can even be fun!

What's Next?

Need to ask a teacher or friend for help with your essay? See our do's and dont's to getting college essay advice .

If you're lacking in essay inspiration, see our guide to brainstorming college essay ideas . And here's our guide to starting out your essay perfectly!

Looking for college essay examples? See 11 places to find college essay examples and 145 essay examples with analysis !

Ellen has extensive education mentorship experience and is deeply committed to helping students succeed in all areas of life. She received a BA from Harvard in Folklore and Mythology and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Columbia University.

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How Many Words In One Page?

You’re assigned a homework in school today, “Please submit an essay four pages long.” That’s all you get. The next question in your mind will be “How many words do I have to write?”, or “What’s the word count for that?”

Fortunately, or unfortunately, there’s no definite answer to that. There are many factors that contribute to the number of words one page can contain. Some of the more common ones are: font size, type of font used, line spacings, margins of the document, etc. Intuitively speaking, the smaller the font size, the more words you need; the smaller the line spacings, the more words you need in a page.

When it comes to writing academic papers, meeting the required word count can sometimes be a challenge. If you find yourself struggling to reach the desired length, consider seeking assistance from a professional assignment writing service .

In any new Microsoft Word document on your computer, the default font size is 12 pt, and the default font is either Times New Roman or Cambria. These are also the standard academic font for college papers. We recommend you to change this to the default if yours isn’t!

In One Page

As a general estimation, a typical page of single spaced document with font size 12 pt takes approximately 500 words to fill the page. Alternatively, you will need 250 words to fill a page of a double spaced document. Therefore, for your assignment of 4 pages long, it will add up to 2000 words for single spaced, or 1000 words for double spaced. The type of font you use may change your word count, but it should not affect too much.

Here’s two tables for your quick reference. Remember, these are just general guidelines for you. If you want the most accurate information, ask the person who gave you the assignment directly! And make sure to follow their instructions!

By word count

How many words do you need to write?

By page count

How many pages do you need to write?

Use our word counter tool to check your word count, and find out how many pages they make up!

October 05, 2019

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How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What Is the Ideal Length?

What’s covered: , personal statement length vs. supplemental essay length, are college essay word limits hard, what if a college essay word count isn’t given, what if you need to submit a graded paper, where to get your essays edited.

Students often spend hours agonizing over the best topics for their college essays. While it’s natural to wonder whether your personal statement is original or compelling enough, there’s one aspect of the process that shouldn’t cause you undue stress—how many words should a college essay be? Fortunately, with a little research, you can uncover the ideal college essay length for all your applications.

Unlike high school assignments, which typically have a strict page requirement, most colleges provide a word limit or word range for their application essays. This practice helps ensure that essays are the same length regardless of font or formatting. A good guideline is that students should strive to get as close as possible to the upper limit of the word range without exceeding it. Keep reading to learn more about best practices for college essay length.

How many words should a college essay be? Personal statements are generally 500-650 words. For example, the Common Application , which can be used to apply to more than 800 colleges, requires an essay ranging from 250-650 words . Similarly, the Coalition Application , which has 150 member schools, features an essay with a recommended length of 500-650 words.

650 words is the most common limit for your personal statement, but some schools may ask students to write more or less. For example, ApplyTexas , a platform used to apply to Texas public universities and other select colleges, requests essays with requirements that vary by school. For example, students applying to UT Austin will need to submit an essay of 500-700 words, along with three short-answer questions of 250-300 words each.

On the other hand, the University of California (UC) application includes a Personal Insight section with eight prompts . Students are asked to respond to any four of these prompts, with each response topping out at 350 words.

Additionally, some schools request a few supplemental essays, which are typically shorter than a personal statement. These questions are designed to gain more information about a student’s interests and abilities, and may include topics like your reasons for wanting to attend their school, your desired major, or your favorite activity.

Most schools require 1-3 supplemental essays, though some may require more or none at all (see our list of top colleges without supplemental essays ). These essays tend to be around 250 words, but some may be just as long as your main essay. For example, Cornell requires applicants to write a second supplemental essay (of 650 words max) that is specific to the program they’re applying to. The exception to this is the Cornell College of Engineering, for which applicants are required to compose two supplemental essays of 250 words max each.

For best results, keep your essays within the word range provided. While you don’t have to hit the count exactly, you should aim to stay within a 10% difference of the upper limit—without including fluff or filler. For example, if the school requests 500 words, try to ensure that your essay is between 450 and 500 words.

For the Common App, try to stay within 550-650 words, even though the given range is 250-650. Any submission shorter than 500 words will make it look as though you simply didn’t care enough to give your best effort. An essay shorter than 500 words won’t be long enough to truly share who you are and what matters to you.

Exceeding the word count isn’t an option—the application portal cuts off anything over the maximum number of allowed words. This is something you want to be particularly careful of if you’re drafting your essay in a Word or Google document and pasting it into the application.

Although most schools provide applicants with a specific word count, some offer more general guidelines. For example, a college may ask for a particular number of pages or paragraphs.

If you aren’t given a word count, try to adhere to the best practices and conventions of writing. Avoid writing especially short or overly long paragraphs—250 words per paragraph is generally a safe upper limit. If you’re asked to write a certain number of pages, single- or double-spaced, stick to a standard font and font size (like 12-point Times New Roman).

In the event that the college doesn’t offer any guidelines at all, aim for an essay length of around 500 words.

While essays are the most commonly requested writing sample, some colleges ask for additional pieces of content. For example, Princeton University requires students to submit a previously graded paper for evaluation .

Princeton offers guidelines that cover length, but if another school requests an old paper and doesn’t offer length requirements, a paper ranging from 3-5 pages should yield the best results. The goal is to select a paper long enough to showcase your writing skills and unique voice, but short enough that the admissions officer doesn’t get bored reading it.

Is your essay effective while staying within the required word count? It’s hard to evaluate your own writing, especially after rereading it numerous times. CollegeVine’s free Peer Essay Review provides an opportunity to have your essay reviewed by a fellow student, for free. Similarly, you can help other students by reviewing their essays—this is a great way to refine your own writing skills.

Expert advice is also available. CollegeVine’s advisors are prepared to help you perfect your personal statement and submit a successful application to your top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How Long Is an Essay? The Ultimate Essay Length Guide

It’s safe to say that most students struggle with the word limit within an essay. Sometimes, it’s hard to find ideas for a text and meet the word requirement for every part of the paper. With so many factors influencing essay length, it’s easy to get confused.

Luckily, our custom-writing team has your back. In this article, our custom-writing experts will answer all your questions regarding essay length. We will also help you write papers with an ideal number of words!

📜 Is Essay Length Important?

📏 essay parts: recommended length.

• 🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer
• 📑 Essay Length & Formatting
• ❓ Different Academic Levels FAQ
• 📚 Essay Length: Different Types
• ⭐ Other Aspects
• 📝 Essay Examples

🔍 References

Often, the phrase “word limit” causes panic among students. After all, if an essay is too long or too short, your grade will be lowered. However, in reality, there’s nothing to worry about. When it comes to words, limitations are beneficial for both the students and the professors.

Let’s see what exactly it means.

Many people believe that the longer an essay is, the better. However, according to Frontiers, research shows that it’s a bias that couldn’t be further from the truth. A perfect-length paper is one that allows students to express their ideas and showcase their knowledge fully while keeping it clean and simple.

What Influences Essay Length

Various factors determine the length of an essay. Here are the most important ones:

Let’s start with the essentials. Usually, assignment length is given as a number of words rather than pages. Unless your supervisor or instructor mentions any specific limitations, it’s acceptable to be 10% below or above the word limit.

It’s also worth knowing the 80/20 rule . According to it, the body should constitute 80% of the text, while the intro and the conclusion take up the remaining 20%.

Keep reading to learn more about the recommended length of each essay part. The main numbers are shown in the table below:

How Long Should an Introduction Be?

An introduction is the first section and the face of your essay. For that reason, it needs to be compelling and well-thought-out. Usually, it consists of 3 to 5 sentences or 50 to 80 words .

An introduction must have a hook, some background information, and a thesis statement. While the attention grabber and the thesis are usually brief, you may need 2 to 3 sentences for the background. To avoid going overboard, try to stay on topic and don’t add any filler.

How Long Is a Body Paragraph in an Essay?

The length of a body paragraph may vary. Sometimes, it can be limited to a single sentence. In other cases, it may take up a whole page. Usually, it’s recommended to have between 80 and 200 words (5-8 sentences) per body paragraph.

Since the paper’s body contains the most information, it’s necessary to explain and support your ideas properly. That’s why it’s no big deal if your body paragraphs go slightly over the word limit.

How Many Body Paragraphs Should Be in an Essay?

Like the word count, the number of paragraphs is determined by the type of paper and its topic. The minimum is 1. Generally, however, the body consists of 3-5 paragraphs , 1 for each argument.

To improve your paper’s structure, ensure that there are as many paragraphs as there are points in your thesis statement. Each one should have a purpose and support your arguments. If there’s any fluff, it’s better to get rid of it.

How Long Should a Conclusion Be?

Like the introduction, the conclusion consists of 50-80 words . It’s essential to keep it simple and only mention the central ideas. A weak concluding sentence may affect the reader’s understanding of the topic and spoil the overall impression of your paper.

🤔 How to Make Essays Shorter or Longer: Best Tips

Undoubtedly the essay’s content is more important than the number of words you use. But there are times when students go more than 10-15% below or over the limit. Is there a solution to this problem?

Yes, there is! In this section, we will share the most useful tips to help you stay on point with your paper’s word count.

How to Make Essays Longer

Since having enough words is essential for a good grade, we’ve collected the best tips that can help you lengthen your essay without teachers noticing:

• Use relevant quotations.  You don’t need to litter your essay with citations, but using them whenever appropriate is a great idea. For instance, if you’re working on a book analysis, referencing a couple of direct quotes from the source text will make your essay more credible and increase the word count.
• Give examples.  Go through the claims in your paper and provide additional evidence where possible. It will make your essay longer and more informative.
• Use transitional expressions.  Adding transition words and phrases is a natural way of increasing the number of words. It will also improve your essay’s readability. 
• Add more references.  Providing references is always a good idea when writing a formal essay. That way, you will increase the number of words and make your paper more credible.
• Work on your descriptions.  If you struggle to develop new ideas, go over what you’ve already written and consider adding some descriptive words. It’s a great idea for creative essays to include more imagery. 

How to Shorten an Essay

Another struggle of academic writing is cutting down the number of words in your essay to meet a set limit. We are here to tell you that it’s not that hard. Writing straightforwardly and keeping your sentences short is a key to concise content. Here are several strategies you may use to tighten a lengthy essay:

• Choose the active voice.  It takes up less space than passive voice. Using it also makes your writing more professional and compelling.
• Remove needless transitions.  Transitions can indeed maintain the flow of the paper. But some transitional phrases can be easily removed.
• Get rid of unnecessary adverbs and adjectives.  Some students tend to overuse adjectives and adverbs. It adds wordiness to their writing.
• Avoid running starts.  Some students like to start their sentences with long phrases like: “there are,” “it is believed,” or “the fact that.” Getting rid of them makes texts much more concise.
• Delete “that.”  In most cases, the word “that” can often be easily removed from texts.

Another cool trick is to use our summarizing tool as essay shortener. Try it out!

📑 How Long Is an Essay Depending on Formatting?

As we mentioned earlier, the essay’s length is usually limited by the number of words. But sometimes, a teacher may ask you to write a specific number of pages. This is trickier because the amount of text you can place on the page depends on the formatting. By using the font size and spacing properly, it’s possible to make the paper visually longer or shorter. Let’s discuss it in more detail.

Essay Spacing: How Does It Affect the Length?

• Adjusting the spacing between lines.  Try to make the changes as slight as possible. For instance, if you were asked to double-space the paper, use 2.1 or 2.2 spacing instead. Another option is to slightly extend spaces between paragraphs.
• Extending the margin size.  You can increase the right and bottom margins by a quarter to make very subtle changes in length. For example, if the margins are 1 inch , you can set them at 1.25 inches instead. 
• Increasing the spacing between characters.  It is less noticeable than the line spacing. Still, try not to overdo it and keep the numbers between 1.2 and 1.5 . 
• Adjusting the footer.  Add a footer with page numbers to stretch the bottom margin even further.
• Lengthening the header.  You can extend your header by adding your name, e-mail address, or other relevant information. Another option is double-spacing it.

Length of an Essay: Font and Size

• Using the right type of font.  If your instructor didn’t specify which font you should use, go for the bigger ones. We suggest Arial, Bangla Sangam MN, Cambria, or Quicksand. They will make your text look longer without being too on the nose.  
• Using a bigger font size.  This is another technique that can come in handy. However, be careful and don’t increase your font by more than 0.1-0.5 pt.  
• Increasing the size of periods and commas.   This is one of the less noticeable tricks you can use. For instance, if your paper’s font is 12 pt. , increase it to 14 pt. only for punctuation marks. Italicizing periods and commas will also add several lines of length to your essay. 

What to Do if There Are No Length Guidelines

Sometimes a teacher sets no word limit for a written work. What to do in that case? Well, first, you can ask your professor to confirm if they have simply forgotten to mention it. But if that’s not the case, here are a couple of helpful solutions:

• Think of the paragraph number.  Sometimes, you may be given the number of paragraphs instead of words. In that case, you can decide on the number of words depending on how many paragraphs you have. 
• Think about the topic’s complexity.  The length of your paper is also directly dependent on the theme. If the topic is simple, 4-5 paragraphs will be enough. A more complex issue may require an in-depth explanation, so your essay can be 6-8 paragraphs long.

❓ Essay Length for Different Academic Levels FAQ

The length of the elementary school essay is usually short. Usually, a paper needs to have around 3-5 paragraphs, with 4-5 sentences per paragraph. Primary school essays can be 1-2 paragraphs long.

The word limit for a middle school essay is usually between 300 to 1000 words. The most common essay length is 500 words, which is about 5 paragraphs. However, it may differ from school to school.

The length of the high school essay may differ depending on the school and the complexity of the task itself. Usually, however, a paper can be between 300 to 1000 words long.

The length of the undergraduate college essay often falls within the range of 1500 to 2100 words. It translates into roughly 5-7 pages. 5 pages is the most common essay length at this level.

When it comes to the graduate school admission essay, the word limit is usually between 500 and 1000 words. It’s possible to go slightly over or below the set limit; however, it’s best to stick to the requirements as close as possible.

📚 How Long Should an Essay Be: Different Types

Now, let’s talk about different types of essays. How long should they be? Keep reading to learn about the length of college essays, short and extended ones, scholarship essays, and research papers.

How Long Is a College Essay?

When it comes to a college essay, it’s more important to stick to the word limit than with any other paper. Some teachers may refuse to read it unless it meets all the requirements.

The shortest limit for a college essay is about 250 words which is the shortest length of a Common App personal statement. It’s also rare to see a good college essay with over 650 words . So, an average piece usually has between 150 and 650 words ; you can go over or below the limit by 50.

How Long Is a Paragraph in College Essays?

A college essay usually consists of 4-5 paragraphs . One paragraph takes about 1/3 of the page, which is roughly 5 sentences . Each sentence corresponds with one of the following components:

• Topic sentence.
• Explanation.
• Transitions.

College Essay Length Requirements: Top 5 Schools

To understand the requirements for a college application essay even better, take a look at the table below. It showcases the top 5 schools and their length criteria for personal statements. Keep it in mind when writing your college essay:

How Long Is a Short Essay?

A short essay is usually 500 words long. Using 12pt Times New Roman font with standard margins and double spacing should result in about 2 pages of text.

Extended Essay Length

An extended essay is different from a short or a standard one. It requires extensive research and thorough explanation. That’s why the upper limit for this kind of essay is 4000 words . In this case, a typical essay length is 3500 words or 18 paragraphs .

Scholarship Essay Length

Generally, scholarship papers have a limit of 500 words , which is 1 page in length. Most scholarship programs provide additional requirements that indicate the minimum number of words or pages. If there are no set limitations, you can stick to the limit.

How Long Is a Research Paper?

Typically, a research paper is between 4000 and 6000 words long. Sometimes, there are shorter papers, which have around 2000 words, or in-depth ones with over 10000 words.

⭐ Other Aspects of Essay Length

When it comes to essay length, many different aspects come into play. Here, we’ve gathered all the essential information regarding an essay’s number of pages, paragraphs, words, and references.

How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

Sometimes, it is more convenient to count paragraphs rather than words. Let’s now figure out how many paragraphs are in essays of different lengths. You may also check out the examples to see what such an essay looks like:

How to Count Paragraphs in an Essay Based on Word Count

You can also count the number of body paragraphs for your essay using the formula below:

Number of body paragraphs (average) = (TWC – TWC*0.16)/100

• TWC – total word count
• 0.16 – an average percentage of total word count for introduction and conclusion
• 100 – an average number of words per paragraph

How Many Pages Are in an Essay?

The number of pages in your essay may vary from subject to subject. But it’s still possible to determine the number of pages based on word count. Check out the numbers below to see the conversions with bonus examples:

You can also use a specialized calculator such as Word Counter to determine a number of pages in your essay.

What Does an Essay Look Like when Typed?

You might be wondering: what do essays of different lengths look like when typed? Well, here’s the table where you can find out the metrics for single- and double-spaced papers.

How Many Pages Are in a Handwritten Essay?

In case you need to turn in a handwritten paper, you should check out the table below.

Counting Words in a Handwritten Essay

If you don’t have enough time to count the words in your handwritten essay one by one, here’s what you can do:

• Count how many words there are in one line. Take the first and last lines and a line in the middle of a page. Let’s say there are 15, 14, and 15 words in them. Then, the average number of words per line is 15.
• Next, count how many lines there are on one page. Let’s say there are 17 lines on a page.
• Take the number of words per line and multiply it by the number of lines per page. In our case, we multiply 15 by 17. So, there are 255 words per page on average.
• Finally, multiply the number of words per page by the number of pages. If your essay has 3 pages, it is approximately 765 words long.

How Long Does it Take to Write an Essay?

It is crucial to know how long writing will take you, especially if you are working on an exam essay or just short on time. Note that you need to consider the time for typing and researching necessary to complete a piece. Research time may vary. Usually, it’s 1-2 hours for 200-250 words .

Below, we’ve gathered the average writing time for average and slower writing speed:

And here are the results in pages:

How Many References Does an Essay Need?

Another essential part of any composition is the reference list. Different academic levels require different references. You’ll find out how many of them should be in your paper in the table below!

📝 Essay Examples: Different Length

Finally, we’ve gathered some excellent sample essays of different lengths. Make sure to check them out!

We also recommend you check out our free essay samples sorted by pages:

• 1-Page Essay Examples
• 2-Page Essay Examples
• 3-Page Essay Examples
• 4-Page Essay Examples
• 5-Page Essay Examples
• 10-Page Essay Examples
• 20-Page Essay Examples
• 30-Page Essay Examples
• 40-Page Essay Examples
• 50-Page Essay Examples

Now you know all about essay length, word limits, and ways to lengthen or shorten your text. If you know other interesting tricks, make sure to share them in a comment! Good luck with your writing assignments!

You may also like:

• How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline
• How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples 
• How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide
• How to Write a Narrative Essay Outline: Template & Examples
• How to Write a Formal Essay: Format, Rules, & Example
• Word Limits and Assignment Length: Massey University
• The Paragraph in the College Essay: California State University, Long Beach
• Introductions & Conclusions: The University of Arizona Global Campus
• How Long Should a Paragraph Be?: Daily Writing Tips
• Paragraphing (Length Consistency): Purdue University
• Hitting the Target Word Count in Your College Admission Essay: Dummies.com
• How Long Should Your College Essay Be? What is the Ideal Length?: College Vine
• Writing Personal Statements Online: Issues of Length and Form: Penn State University
• Pen Admissions: Essays: University of Pennsylvania
• Essay Questions: University of Michigan
• Essay Structure: Harvard University
• Components of a Good Essay: University of Evansville
• Write Your Essay: UNSW Sydney
• College Writing: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 21 Helpful and Easy Tips to Make an Essay Longer: Seventeen
• How to Make a College Paper Longer: ThoughtCo
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How Long Is a One-Page Essay

Writing a one-page essay is as challenging as creating long ones. And as a student, the question of how long is a one-page essay may be one of those you constantly seek answers to.

Ideally, in a college essay or paper, you must write a certain number of words and include content that makes your piece worth reading. Otherwise, your article will be vague, not provide specific information, and the facts supporting your argument will be shallow.

These are some of the challenges of these short essays, and thus the need to guide on one-pagers lengths.

A one-page essay is a short essay that is 250-300 words long. Generally, there are 300 words on a double-spaced page written in Times New Roman of a 12-sized Font. Similarly, if unspaced, the page will be about 500 words and is still considered a one-page essay.

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We are now taking exams and courses

If you are assigned a one-page essay, you have to write a complete essay in just one page or thereabout. These essays are assigned to gauge your clarity of thought and presentation skills.

Also see: How to write a 500 words essay 

In most cases, a one-page essay requires some research work. You have to find enough information about your topic and then make it into an interesting piece of writing. This may not be an easy task for everyone. However, if you have enough time and patience, you will definitely succeed in writing an excellent one-page essay.

Additionally, essay length can vary from a few paragraphs to several pages. One-page essays are often assigned as a response to a question or as an introductory paragraph in longer papers or reports.

The purpose of these short assignments is to give students practice in expressing themselves clearly and concisely. Still, some instructors may also expect them to include outside research on a topic.

How Many Paragraphs Are in a 1-Page Essay?

Generally, a 1-page essay will have a minimum of two paragraphs and not exceed five. However, there is no strict rule on the number of paragraphs these essays should have.

Writing more than three paragraphs for a one-page essay will make your writing sound choppy and make your ideas lack clarity and conciseness. On the other hand, writing fewer than three paragraphs is not enough to fully develop your arguments or explain your main idea.

The best approach is to have fewer points that will help you explain them fully and pass your message or argument in a clear and easily understood manner.

Is 2 Paragraphs Enough for an Essay?

Two paragraphs are ideally not enough for an essay, even though this practice has no written rules. In many instances, pieces have a minimum of three paragraphs comprising an introduction, body, and conclusion.

If you decide to go the 2 paragraph route, ensure your supporting or body paragraph is comprehensive enough. This is necessary so that you do not seem to have anything valuable to write about. But if you decide to write more than two, let each paragraph have enough meat and content such that readers get value from your essay.

How to Write a 1 Page Essay

Writing a 1-page essay is not as easy as it sounds. You must be able to condense all your arguments into one page, usually around 300 words. And this can be challenging for most students.

However, the following guidelines will help you sail through.

Read your instructor’s instructions

The first step to writing a good essay is following the guidelines given by your instructor. If you look at the assignment sheet, you should find a list of required elements and general guidelines for writing the essay.

The guidelines will help you organize and structure your thoughts and ensure you have all the necessary information to complete the task.

Create an outline

The writing process is highly subjective, but some steps can be taken to ensure that your writing is clear and concise, and one way to do this is by using an outline.

Outlining is the process of planning your essay before you start writing. You can use an outline to organize your thoughts and ideas and help you determine which facts to include and which details to omit.

You do not have to write in complete sentences or paragraphs. Instead, ensure that each point relates directly to the topic.

An outline helps you stay on track and prevents you from getting off-topic or rambling in your writing. Additionally, it enables you to organize your thoughts before putting them down on paper or typing them into your word processor.

Writing the introduction, body, and conclusion

The introduction, body, and conclusion are three major parts of an essay. Writing them ensures your paper is well-organized, readers can see the logic, and guarantees better marks.

The introduction is a summary of what you are going to discuss in your essay. However, it should not just be a summary but an exciting opening that draws the reader’s attention to your work. It can be a quote from the text or another source relevant to your essay’s topic.

The body is where you present all your arguments and support them with evidence from different sources. It should also include counterarguments that you have made against other people’s arguments or views on the subject matter. The body also contains examples and case studies that support your argument.

The conclusion is where you summarize what you have discussed in the body section of your paper. It also includes recommendations.

• Character Counter
• Words Per Page
• Word Unscrambler
• 5 Letter Words
• Size (pt) 9 10 11 12 13 14
• Font Arial Calibri Comic Sans Courier Verdana Times New Roman
• Spacing Single 1.5 Double

Words per page

For those who work in the writing field or professional publishing sector, the demand for knowing words per page is extremely important. Therefore, calculating words per page is considered necessary.

Feature Function:

Whenever you write an assignment in the college, both a certain number of pages and a word count are required. If your professor required the assignment of a three-page paper on a related topic, you must wonder how many words are in three pages. Actually, there is no precise answer to this question because it depends on the font type, font size, spacing (single-spaced or double-spaced), margins, and paragraph length. Besides, the headings and subheadings also affect the number of words per page.

There are, however, general guidelines for estimating the number of words on a page. For example, a one-page essay includes approximately 500 words with single spacing and 250 words with double spacing.

By accounting for more specific information, the conversion provided by the tool is more accurate. For example, to make an estimate, you can choose from a number of the below:

• Comic Sans.
• Times New Roman.
• From 13 to 20 (px).

After you input your text into the text box, you will immediately see the needed information on the right-hand side of the screen. In real-time, detailed indicators such as the number of words, full characters, characters (without punctuation and spaces), sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading and speaking time are displayed.

To sum up, knowing how many words per page helps you manage your required  word count for your content. This tool will allow you to find an answer to the question regarding the number of words per page, as it all depends on specific factors such as font, size, and spacing.

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How Many Words In An Essay? [A Word Count Guide]

/ By Alan Reiner

/ September 21, 2022

Whether you are writing an essay for school or for a course, you may wonder how many words you can include in your written essay.

Generally, the exact word count in an essay depends on the subject, the course and the essay requirements.

In this article, we take a closer look at the word count for different types of essays, and how you can avoid exceeding the word limit.

How Many Words Should An Essay Have?

Different types of essays have different word limits. Generally, essays can vary from a few hundred words to 6,000 words.

An essay is typically defined as a short piece of writing with a certain structure. An essay should present an idea as concise as possible, and it shouldn’t be too lengthy.

Essays aren’t as comprehensive as research papers or a thesis. They should be much shorter.

Typically, essays are assignments given to students in higher education. They come with guidelines on how many words and pages are expected to be written.

Many standard essays range from 2,500 to 4,000 words, although this can vary depending on the course and assignment restrictions.

High school essays are usually a little shorter and they tend to be 300 to 1,000 words. These are often simple 5-pagragraph essays that include an introduction, a few paragraphs and a conclusion.

Undergraduate college essays are a little more extensive and they range from 1,500 to 5,000 words. 

The exact length of undergraduate essays depends on the department, syllabus, course level and the institution.

Other graduate essays, including postgraduate essays, tend to be much longer with 2,500 to 6,000 words.

They also vary depending on the course level and department but they are typically the beginning of a research paper.

There are also a number of different admissions essays, such as undergraduate school admission essays, that you may need to write to be admitted to a college or university.

These can range from anywhere between 200 and 1,000 words.

Whatever essay you are tasked with to write, it’s essential that you check the guidelines on word count and the expected pages.

Often these guidelines also advise the style of writing as well as the font and font size. All this can make a difference to the length of your essay.

How Long Is Each Part Of An Essay?

All pieces of writing are typically split into introduction, main body and conclusion. This also applies to academic writing and essays.

The main body of the text should take up the most space of your essay. This is where you present all your arguments, develop your ideas around the topic and provide evidence.

An introduction is usually just a couple of paragraphs to introduce the topic. It should be proportional to the overall length of your essay.

The longer your essay, the longer your introduction needs to be. After all, you will need to put down some background information and introduce your argument.

An essay conclusion should be kept brief and concise. The conclusion is usually just a single paragraph, although this can also vary depending on the overall essay length.

As a rule of thumb, many basic academic papers are five-paragraph essays. This means that there is one paragraph for the introduction, three paragraphs for the main body and one paragraph for the conclusion.

When you are writing your body text, then each body paragraph should cover a central argument and idea.

How Long Should A Paragraph Be In An Essay?

The length of a paragraph in your essay will vary depending on the overall word count of your essay and the arguments that you present in your written work.

Essays are typically divided into five paragraphs, although this depends on the essay guidelines.

In academic essays, the majority of space is taken up by the main body text which is typically three paragraphs long.

The main body text allows you to present your main arguments, ideas and offer evidence for your thoughts.

It’s important to structure your essay in the right way. While there’s no exact paragraph length or paragraph word limit, you need to make sure that your presented arguments are clear and concise.

Can You Go Under The Suggested Essay Word Count?

Yes, you can also write fewer words for your essay as long you fulfilled the assignment requirements and you have structured your work well.

However, bear in mind that you should not sacrifice any good arguments just to stay under the word limit.

If you are struggling to get even close to the word count, then there are quite a few things you can do.

It’s a good idea to add as many examples and evidence pieces to your paragraph as you can. This will support your arguments.

Also make sure that you fully analyze and explain each example in detail to fully develop your point.

Each paragraph in the main body text of the essay should pick up a new argument and aspect of the topic.

It’s essential that you do not use any filler words or text that doesn’t add to the meaning of your essay. 

Artificially bumping up the word count with complicated sentences or unnecessary words will just weaken your arguments in your paper.

Lastly, don’t overfixate on your word count . While word limits are set to guide you, many markers do not always worry too much about 100 words over.

The important thing is that you bring your argument across and that you have a good essay structure.

Can You Go Over The Suggested Essay Length?

Sometimes you are allowed to go over the suggested word limit by roughly 10%. However, how strict the word count is handled depends on your institution and the course.

That’s why it’s important that you check with your course instructor.

As a rule of thumb, it’s only a good idea to exceed the word limit when it supports your argument.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep the number of words in your essay as low as possible.

It’s important that each paragraph is clearly structured to support your argument and idea. You should deviate from the main point and don’t include any irrelevant information.

Check the words that you use and remove any filler words that don’t add to the clarity of your sentences.

When you remove a paragraph or sentence, then you need to make sure that you revise any links or transitions from your previous paragraph.

As the introduction and conclusion are both relatively short anyway, there is usually not much space to cut out words.

No matter how many words you need to cut, your essay should be on topic and packed with powerful arguments.

Final Thoughts

The length and word count of an academic essay can vary, from a few hundred words up to 6,000 words.

Whether you are writing an essay for an academic assignment or college admission, make sure that you read the instructions and guidelines carefully.

They will give you an idea of what to write about and how many pages as well as words you should write.

Alan Reiner

Hi, my name is Alan Reiner and I have been in the writing industry for almost seven years. I write articles that can span from 200 words all the way to 20,000 words every single day. How do I do it? With a lot of determination. All my way through school and college, I hated long-form assignments. I could never get into the groove of working on one piece for an extended period of time. My pieces were always late because I didn’t have the motivation to type them, let alone edit them.

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How to Format a College Essay: Step-by-Step Guide

Mark Twain once said, “I like a good story well told. That’s the reason I am sometimes forced to tell them myself.”

At College Essay Guy, we too like good stories well told.

The problem is that sometimes students have really good stories … that just aren’t well told.

They have the seed of an idea and the makings of a great story, but the essay formatting or structure is all over the place.

Which can lead a college admissions reader to see you as disorganized. And your essay doesn’t make as much of an impact as it could.

So, if you’re here, you’re probably wondering:

Is there any kind of required format for a college essay? How do I structure my essay? 

And maybe what’s the difference?

Good news: That’s what this post answers.

First, let’s go over a few basic questions students often have when trying to figure out how to format their essay.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• College essay format guidelines
• How to brainstorm and structure a college essay topic
• Recommended brainstorming examples
• Example college essay: The “Burying Grandma” essay

College Essay Format Guidelines

Should I title my college essay?

You don’t need one. In the vast majority of cases, students we work with don’t use titles. The handful of times they have, they’ve done so because the title allows for a subtle play on words or reframing of the essay as a whole. So don’t feel any pressure to include one—they’re purely optional.

Should I indent or us paragraph breaks in my college essay?

Either. Just be consistent. The exception here is if you’re pasting into a box that screws up your formatting—for example, if, when you copy your essay into the box, your indentations are removed, go with paragraph breaks. (And when you get to college, be sure to check what style guide you should be following: Chicago, APA, MLA, etc., can all take different approaches to formatting, and different fields have different standards.)

How many paragraphs should a college essay be? 

Personal statements are not English essays. They don’t need to be 5 paragraphs with a clear, argumentative thesis in the beginning and a conclusion that sums everything up. So feel free to break from that. How many paragraphs are appropriate for a college essay? Within reason, it’s up to you. We’ve seen some great personal statements that use 4 paragraphs, and some that use 8 or more (especially if you have dialogue—yes, dialogue is OK too!).

How long should my college essay be? 

The good news is that colleges and the application systems they use will usually give you specific word count maximums. The most popular college application systems, like the Common Application and Coalition Application, will give you a maximum of 650 words for your main personal statement, and typically less than that for school-specific supplemental essays . Other systems will usually specify the maximum word count—the UC PIQs are 350 max, for example. If they don’t specify this clearly in the application systems or on their website (and be sure to do some research), you can email them to ask! They don’t bite.

So should you use all that space? We generally recommend it. You likely have lots to share about your life, so we think that not using all the space they offer to tell your story might be a missed opportunity. While you don’t have to use every last word, aim to use most of the words they give you. But don’t just fill the space if what you’re sharing doesn’t add to the overall story you’re telling.

There are also some applications or supplementals with recommended word counts or lengths. For example, Georgetown says things like “approx. 1 page,” and UChicago doesn’t have a limit, but recommends aiming for 650ish for the extended essay, and 250-500 for the “Why us?” 

You can generally apply UChicago’s recommendations to other schools that don’t give you a limit: If it’s a “Why Major” supplement, 650 is probably plenty, and for other supplements, 250-500 is a good target to shoot for. If you go over those, that can be fine, just be sure you’re earning that word count (as in, not rambling or being overly verbose). Your readers are humans. If you send them a tome, their attention could drift.

Regarding things like italics and bold

Keep in mind that if you’re pasting text into a box, it may wipe out your formatting. So if you were hoping to rely on italics or bold for some kind of emphasis, double check if you’ll be able to. (And in general, try to use sentence structure and phrasing to create that kind of emphasis anyway, rather than relying on bold or italics—doing so will make you a better writer.)

Regarding font type, size, and color

Keep it simple and standard. Regarding font type, things like Times New Roman or Georgia (what this is written in) won’t fail you. Just avoid things like Comic Sans or other informal/casual fonts.

Size? 11- or 12-point is fine.

Color? Black. 

Going with something else with the above could be a risk, possibly a big one, for fairly little gain. Things like a wacky font or text color could easily feel gimmicky to a reader.

To stand out with your writing, take some risks in what you write about and the connections and insights you make.

If you’re attaching a doc (rather than pasting)

If you are attaching a document rather than pasting into a text box, all the above still applies. Again,  we’d recommend sticking with standard fonts and sizes—Times New Roman, 12-point is a standard workhorse. You can probably go with 1.5 or double spacing. Standard margins.

Basically, show them you’re ready to write in college by using the formatting you’ll normally use in college.

Is there a college essay template I can use? 

Depends on what you’re asking for. If, by “template,” you’re referring to formatting … see above.

But if you mean a structural template ... not exactly. There is no one college essay template to follow. And that’s a good thing.

That said, we’ve found that there are two basic structural approaches to writing college essays that can work for every single prompt we’ve seen. (Except for lists. Because … they’re lists.)

Below we’ll cover those two essay structures we love, but you’ll see how flexible these are—they can lead to vastly different essays. You can also check out a few sample essays to get a sense of structure and format (though we’d recommend doing some brainstorming and outlining to think of possible topics before you look at too many samples, since they can poison the well for some people).

Let’s dig in.

STEP 1: HOW TO BRAINSTORM AN AMAZING ESSAY TOPIC

We’ll talk about structure and topic together. Why? Because one informs the other.

(And to clarify: When we say, “topic,” we mean the theme or focus of your essay that you use to show who you are and what you value. The “topic” of your college essay is always ultimately you.)

We think there are two basic structural approaches that can work for any college essay. Not that these are the only two options—rather, that these can work for any and every prompt you’ll have to write for. 

Which structural approach you use depends on your answer to this question (and its addendum): Do you feel like you’ve faced significant challenges in your life … or not so much? (And do you want to write about them?)

If yes (to both), you’ll most likely want to use Narrative Structure . If no (to either), you’ll probably want to try Montage Structure .

So … what are those structures? And how do they influence your topic?

Narrative Structure is classic storytelling structure. You’ve seen this thousands of times—assuming you read, and watch movies and TV, and tell stories with friends and family. If you don’t do any of these things, this might be new. Otherwise, you already know this. You may just not know you know it. Narrative revolves around a character or characters (for a college essay, that’s you) working to overcome certain challenges, learning and growing, and gaining insight. For a college essay using Narrative Structure, you’ll focus the word count roughly equally on a) Challenges You Faced, b) What You Did About Them, and c) What You Learned (caveat that those sections can be somewhat interwoven, especially b and c). Paragraphs and events are connected causally.

You’ve also seen montages before. But again, you may not know you know. So: A montage is a series of thematically connected things, frequently images. You’ve likely seen montages in dozens and dozens of films before—in romantic comedies, the “here’s the couple meeting and dating and falling in love” montage; in action movies, the classic “training” montage. A few images tell a larger story. In a college essay, you could build a montage by using a thematic thread to write about five different pairs of pants that connect to different sides of who you are and what you value. Or different but connected things that you love and know a lot about (like animals, or games). Or entries in your Happiness Spreadsheet .

How does structure play into a great topic?

We believe a montage essay (i.e., an essay NOT about challenges) is more likely to stand out if the topic or theme of the essay is:

X. Elastic (i.e., something you can connect to variety of examples, moments, or values) Y. Uncommon (i.e., something other students probably aren’t writing about)

We believe that a narrative essay is more likely to stand out if it contains: 

X. Difficult or compelling challenges Y. Insight

These aren’t binary—rather, each exists on a spectrum.

“Elastic” will vary from person to person. I might be able to connect mountain climbing to family, history, literature, science, social justice, environmentalism, growth, insight … and someone else might not connect it to much of anything. Maybe trees?

“Uncommon” —every year, thousands of students write about mission trips, sports, or music. It’s not that you can’t write about these things, but it’s a lot harder to stand out. 

“Difficult or compelling challenges” can be put on a spectrum, with things like getting a bad grade or not making a sports team on the weaker end, and things like escaping war or living homeless for three years on the stronger side. While you can possibly write a strong essay about a weaker challenge, it’s really hard to do so.

“Insight” is the answer to the question “so what?” A great insight is likely to surprise the reader a bit, while a so-so insight likely won’t. (Insight is something you’ll develop in an essay through the writing process, rather than something you’ll generally know ahead of time for a topic, but it’s useful to understand that some topics are probably easier to pull insights from than others.)

To clarify, you can still write a great montage with a very common topic, or a narrative that offers so-so insights. But the degree of difficulty goes up. Probably way up.

With that in mind, how do you brainstorm possible topics that are on the easier-to-stand-out-with side of the spectrum?

Brainstorming exercises

Spend about 10 minutes (minimum) on each of these exercises.

Values Exercise

Essence Objects Exercise

21 Details Exercise

Everything I Want Colleges To Know About Me Exercise

Feelings and Needs Exercise

If you feel like you already have your topic, and you just want to know how to make it better…

Still do those exercises.

Maybe what you have is the best topic for you. And if you are incredibly super sure, you can skip ahead. But if you’re not sure this topic helps you communicate your deepest stories, spend a little time on the exercises above. As a bonus, even if you end up going with what you already had (though please be wary of the sunk cost fallacy ), all that brainstorming will be useful when you write your supplemental essays .

The Feelings and Needs Exercise in particular is great for brainstorming Narrative Structure, connecting story events in a causal way (X led to Y led to Z). The Essence Objects, 21 Details, Everything I Want Colleges to Know exercises can lead to interesting thematic threads for Montage Structure (P, Q, and R are all connected because, for example, they’re all qualities of a great endodontist). But all of them are useful for both structural approaches. Essence objects can help a narrative come to life. One paragraph in a montage could focus on a challenge and how you overcame it.

The Values Exercise is a cornerstone of both—regardless of whether you use narrative or montage, we should get a sense of some of your core values through your essays.

How (and why) to outline your college essay to use a good structure

While not every professional writer knows exactly how a story will end when they start writing, they also have months (or years) to craft it, and they may throw major chunks or whole drafts away. You probably don’t want to throw away major chunks or whole drafts. So you should outline.

Use the brainstorming exercises from earlier to decide on your most powerful topics and what structure (narrative or montage) will help you best tell your story.

Then, outline.

For a narrative, use the Feelings and Needs Exercise, and build clear bullet points for the Challenges + Effects, What I Did About It, and What I Learned. Those become your outline. 

Yeah, that simple.

For a montage, outline 4-7 ways your thread connects to different values through different experiences, and if you can think of them, different lessons and insights (though these you might have to develop later, during the writing process). For example, how auto repair connects to family, literature, curiosity, adventure, and personal growth (through different details and experiences).

Here are some good example outlines:

Narrative outline (developed from the Feelings and Needs Exercise)

Challenges:

Domestic abuse (physical and verbal)

Controlling father/lack of freedom

Sexism/bias

Prevented from pursuing opportunities

Cut off from world/family

Lack of sense of freedom/independence

Faced discrimination

What I Did About It:

Pursued my dreams

Traveled to Egypt, London, and Paris alone

Challenged stereotypes

Explored new places and cultures

Developed self-confidence, independence, and courage

Grew as a leader

Planned events

What I Learned:

Inspired to help others a lot more

Learned about oppression, and how to challenge oppressive norms

Became closer with mother, somewhat healed relationship with father

Need to feel free

And here’s the essay that became: “ Easter ”

Montage outline:

Thread: Home

Values: Family, tradition, literature

Ex: “Tailgate Special,” discussions w/family, reading Nancy Drew

Perception, connection to family

Chinese sword dance

Values: Culture/heritage, meticulousness, dedication, creativity

Ex: Notebook, formations/choreography

Nuances of culture, power of connection

Values: Science/chemistry, curiosity 

Synthesizing plat nanoparticles

Joy of discovery, redefining expectations

Governor’s School

Values: Exploration, personal growth

Knitting, physics, politics, etc.

Importance of exploring beyond what I know/am used to, taking risks

And here’s the essay that became: “ Home ”

When to scrap what you have and start over

Ultimately, you can’t know for sure if a topic will work until you try a draft or two. And maybe it’ll be great. But keep that sunk cost fallacy in mind, and be open to trying other things.

If you’re down the rabbit hole with a personal statement topic and just aren’t sure about it, the first step you should take is to ask for feedback. Find a partner who can help you examine it without the attachment to all the emotion (anxiety, worry, or fear) you might have built up around it. 

Have them help you walk through The Great College Essay Test to make sure your essay is doing its job. If it isn’t yet, does it seem like this topic has the potential to? Or would other topics allow you to more fully show a college who you are and what you bring to the table?

Because that’s your goal. Format and structure are just tools to get you there.

Down the Road

Before we analyze some sample essays, bookmark this page, so that once you’ve gone through several drafts of your own essay, come back and take The Great College Essay Test  to make sure your essay is doing its job. The job of the essay, simply put, is to demonstrate to a college that you’ll make valuable contributions in college and beyond. We believe these four qualities are essential to a great essay:

Core values (showing who you are through what you value)

Vulnerability (helps a reader feel connected to you)

Insight (aka “so what” moments)

Craft (clear structure, refined language, intentional choices)

To test what values are coming through, read your essay aloud to someone who knows you and ask:

Which values are clearly coming through the essay?

Which values are kind of there but could be coming through more clearly?

Which values could be coming through and were opportunities missed?

To know if you’re being vulnerable in your essay, ask:

Now that you’ve heard my story, do you feel closer to me?

What did you learn about me that you didn’t already know?

To search for “so what” moments of insight, review the claims you’re making in your essay. Are you reflecting on what these moments and experiences taught you? How have they changed you? Are you making common or (hopefully) uncommon connections? The uncommon connections are often made up of insights that are unusual or unexpected. (For more on how to test for this, click The Great College Essay Test link above.)

Craft comes through the sense that each paragraph, each sentence, each word is a carefully considered choice. That the author has spent time revising and refining. That the essay is interesting and succinct. How do you test this? For each paragraph, each sentence, each word, ask: Do I need this? (Huge caveat: Please avoid neurotic perfectionism here. We’re just asking you to be intentional with your language.)

Still feeling you haven’t found your topic? Here’s a list of 100 Brave and Interesting Questions . Read these and try freewriting on a few. See where they lead.

Finally, here’s an ...

Example College Essay Format Analysis: The “Burying Grandma” Essay

To see how the Narrative Essay structure works, check out the essay below, which was written for the Common App "Topic of your choice" prompt. You might try reading it here first before reading the paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown below.

They covered the precious mahogany coffin with a brown amalgam of rocks, decomposed organisms, and weeds. It was my turn to take the shovel, but I felt too ashamed to dutifully send her off when I had not properly said goodbye. I refused to throw dirt on her. I refused to let go of my grandmother, to accept a death I had not seen coming, to believe that an illness could not only interrupt, but steal a beloved life.

The author begins by setting up the Challenges + Effects (you’ve maybe heard of this referred to in narrative as the Inciting Incident). This moment also sets up some of her needs: growth and emotional closure, to deal with it and let go/move on. Notice the way objects like the shovel help bring an essay to life, and can be used for symbolic meaning. That object will also come back later.

When my parents finally revealed to me that my grandmother had been battling liver cancer, I was twelve and I was angry--mostly with myself. They had wanted to protect me--only six years old at the time--from the complex and morose concept of death. However, when the end inevitably arrived, I wasn’t trying to comprehend what dying was; I was trying to understand how I had been able to abandon my sick grandmother in favor of playing with friends and watching TV. Hurt that my parents had deceived me and resentful of my own oblivion, I committed myself to preventing such blindness from resurfacing.

In the second paragraph, she flashes back to give us some context of what things were like leading up to these challenges (i.e., the Status Quo), which helps us understand her world. It also helps us to better understand the impact of her grandmother’s death and raises a question: How will she prevent such blindness from resurfacing?

I became desperately devoted to my education because I saw knowledge as the key to freeing myself from the chains of ignorance. While learning about cancer in school I promised myself that I would memorize every fact and absorb every detail in textbooks and online medical journals. And as I began to consider my future, I realized that what I learned in school would allow me to silence that which had silenced my grandmother. However, I was focused not with learning itself, but with good grades and high test scores. I started to believe that academic perfection would be the only way to redeem myself in her eyes--to make up for what I had not done as a granddaughter.  

In the third paragraph, she starts shifting into the What I Did About It aspect, and takes off at a hundred miles an hour … but not quite in the right direction yet. What does that mean? She pursues things that, while useful and important in their own right, won’t actually help her resolve her conflict. This is important in narrative—while it can be difficult, or maybe even scary, to share ways we did things wrong, that generally makes for a stronger story. Think of it this way: You aren’t really interested in watching a movie in which a character faces a challenge, knows what to do the whole time, so does it, the end. We want to see how people learn and change and grow.

Here, the author “Raises the Stakes” because we as readers sense intuitively (and she is giving us hints) that this is not the way to get over her grandmother’s death.

However, a simple walk on a hiking trail behind my house made me open my own eyes to the truth. Over the years, everything--even honoring my grandmother--had become second to school and grades. As my shoes humbly tapped against the Earth, the towering trees blackened by the forest fire a few years ago, the faintly colorful pebbles embedded in the sidewalk, and the wispy white clouds hanging in the sky reminded me of my small though nonetheless significant part in a larger whole that is humankind and this Earth. Before I could resolve my guilt, I had to broaden my perspective of the world as well as my responsibilities to my fellow humans.   

There’s some nice evocative detail in here that helps draw us into her world and experience.

Structurally, there are elements of What I Did About It and What I Learned in here (again, they will often be somewhat interwoven). This paragraph gives us the Turning Point/Moment of Truth. She begins to understand how she was wrong. She realizes she needs perspective. But how? See next paragraph ...

Volunteering at a cancer treatment center has helped me discover my path. When I see patients trapped in not only the hospital but also a moment in time by their diseases, I talk to them. For six hours a day, three times a week, Ivana is surrounded by IV stands, empty walls, and busy nurses that quietly yet constantly remind her of her breast cancer. Her face is pale and tired, yet kind--not unlike my grandmother’s. I need only to smile and say hello to see her brighten up as life returns to her face. Upon our first meeting, she opened up about her two sons, her hometown, and her knitting group--no mention of her disease. Without even standing up, the three of us—Ivana, me, and my grandmother--had taken a walk together.

In the second-to-last paragraph, we see how she takes further action, and some of what she learns from her experiences: Volunteering at the local hospital helps her see her larger place in the world.

Cancer, as powerful and invincible as it may seem, is a mere fraction of a person’s life. It’s easy to forget when one’s mind and body are so weak and vulnerable. I want to be there as an oncologist to remind them to take a walk once in a while, to remember that there’s so much more to life than a disease. While I physically treat their cancer, I want to lend patients emotional support and mental strength to escape the interruption and continue living. Through my work, I can accept the shovel without burying my grandmother’s memory.

The final paragraph uses what we call the “bookend” technique by bringing us back to the beginning, but with a change—she’s a different, slightly wiser person than she was. This helps us put a frame around her growth. 

… A good story well told . That’s your goal.

Hopefully, you now have a better sense of how to make that happen.

For more resources, check out our College Application Hub .

What’s a Good Word Count for a College Application Essay?

Writing a college application essay can be difficult and stressful. You want an admissions counselor to see your essay as a standout piece that makes him want to pick you over all other applicants. You want your words to make a positive impression, but you also don’t want to drone on and on for days.

You want to know that when you look at the word counter you're in a good range, but what is a good range?

Generally speaking, 350-500 words works well. This is long enough to develop ideas, but short enough the keep someone’s interest.

How can you be thorough, interesting, and detailed but not too wordy with this limited word count? Crafting the perfect essay requires some careful thought and planning.

Let’s explore some ways to write a phenomenal college essay that is just the perfect length.

1. Look at College Essay Examples

Search Google for college essay examples. There are dozens of sites to help you find some high-quality essays. Here are a few to get you started: Johns Hopkins University essays , College Board essay , and Hamilton University essays .

It will help to search for examples that answer prompts similar to those you are trying to answer for your own essays. Write notes about how these types of questions are answered effectively.

Reflect on the writer’s style: What works well with each essay? What is the writer doing to keep your attention and to provide interesting insight into her personality?

You can also search for some examples of not-so-great essays and learn by reflecting on what you would do differently.

2. Stick with Guidelines if They are Given

This is not the time to go rogue with your writing guidelines. If a college says to write a one-page essay, do it. (If you're wondering how many words per page to write, generally one page is 250 words.)

If a college says to write 1000 words, do it. (And how many pages is 1000 words? About 4.) College admissions counselors will notice if they ask for 4 pages and you provide 2 pages. Or 6 pages. Give them what they are asking for.

Not following directions provided by colleges is one of the easiest ways to have your work ignored and your application rejected. It sucks to put in a ton of work and not have it looked over simply because you didn’t pay attention to one or two small details in the directions or didn’t follow guidelines.

3. Be Thoughtful and Detailed—Not “Wordy”

This is your chance to paint a complete picture of yourself and your personality. You also need to be sure that you have enough content to fully and clearly answer the prompt you've been given without adding a lot of fluff. You want to shine. But be careful to not go overboard.

Tell an interesting story that shows who you are and what you value. Offer meaningful examples. The keyword: meaningful.

Avoid repetition and unnecessary words. Don’t give a laundry list of accomplishments. One specific, well-developed example that means a lot is way more valuable than ten examples that just skim the surface.

4. Use Vivid and Clear Language

Don’t bore or confuse your reader. If you are bored reading your essay, so is the admissions counselor. If you aren’t sure if your essay is boring, get some feedback from others. Ask your parents, teachers, and peers to read your essay.

Have them tell you which parts make them smile, laugh, reflect, or think. Ask them to honestly tell you where they are bored, confused, or completely lost. Revise accordingly and get rid of the boring or confusing parts. No one wants to read those.

As you are writing your college essay, remember to count your words, but also make sure that every word counts. Choose meaningful, interesting stories to tell, and avoid repetition and fluff. With hard work (and a lot of revision), you will have your pick of universities to choose from!

How to Write Essay Titles and Headers

Don’t overlook the title and section headers when putting together your next writing assignment. Follow these pointers for keeping your writing organized and effective.

101 Standout Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

Need a topic for your upcoming argumentative essay? We've got 100 helpful prompts to help you get kickstarted on your next writing assignment.

Writing a Standout College Admissions Essay

Your personal statement is arguably the most important part of your college application. Follow these guidelines for an exceptional admissions essay.

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How Long Should a College Essay Be?

High school essays tend to require a page limit, but college essays tend to require a word count.

When it comes to college application essays, many colleges and universities specify a word count. Some expect one longer essay, while others expect responses to multiple prompts using a shorter word count for each answer. However, that’s not always the case. If your institution doesn’t provide a specific word count, it’s best to keep your essay between the length established by the longer college admissions essay format: 250 to 650 words .

Word count is just one factor to consider as you craft your college admissions essay. Let’s go over other considerations, like whether a longer essay makes a difference, and whether it’s acceptable to exceed the word count. 

College essays: Word count vs. page limit 

High school essays tend to require a page limit, meaning that your teachers might ask you to submit a five-page paper or an eight-paper paper. However, college application essays tend to require a word count. 

When a college provides you with a wide word count range, it’s best to take advantage of the upper word count limit. For example, if a college asks for an essay between 250-500 words, you should aim to craft a response that’s at least 400-450 words. You don’t need to hit the maximum length, but your essay should be well over half the word count. 

College essays, or personal statements , are an opportunity for a college admissions committee to hear directly from you. It’s valuable space. Writing the bare minimum may not send the best message to the committee, and it may not help them learn more about who you are outside of your transcripts and general application. 

Learn more: Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for College

How to measure your college essay's word count

Measuring your word count depends on which program you’re using to write your essay. Here's how you can find your word count on Microsoft Word and Google Docs, two of the most popular writing applications:

Microsoft Word: The page count is typically displayed on the bottom left of your screen. You can also click “Review” and then “Word count” to find how much you’ve written. 

Google Docs: Under “Tools,” click on “Word count.” You can also highlight a portion of your text before clicking “word count” so you can determine the exact word count of that section. 

Should you go over the word count? 

No. Do not go over the maximum word count. If there isn’t a preferred word count, you should submit an essay that’s under 650 words, according to the college application platform Common App, which works with over 900 colleges in the US [ 1 ]. 

Admissions officers are looking for well-written essays that follow directions. Officers review thousands of essays every year. In fact, the average college received 9,071 applications in 2020 [ 2 ]. Writing either a very short or a very long essay—ignoring the directions in either case—might send the wrong impression. 

You can always start by writing a longer draft and then trimming the most unnecessary parts to tighten your essay and get it down to the preferred word count. This will help you include the most important information and get your point across in a concise way.

What length should supplemental college essays be?

Supplemental essays are additional prompts that some colleges and universities ask students to answer in addition to their personal statement or college essay. It's usually an opportunity to specify your interest in that particular school: Admissions committees may ask why you want to attend or what you want to study and why.

Schools require, on average, at least two or three supplemental essays, but others have been known to ask for over ten. Most schools will provide specific instructions about the word count for supplemental essays. As with the college essay, stay within the range or limit, and write a focused response that incorporates some knowledge about the school.  

How to format your college essay

As with word count, many institutions specify any formatting requirements, such as double-spacing (vs. single-spacing) your essay, and what font size you should use. (With general online application portals, such as Common App, the program will format your essay for you.)

Because a college essay is measured by word count rather than page length, writing in a larger font and using double-spaced formatting won’t affect the overall length of your essay, though it’s best to adhere to each college’s guidelines. Check if there are any parameters you need to follow for each application you submit. Read more: College Essay Format: Writing & Editing Tips

4 tips for writing an effective college essay

No matter which essay prompt you choose, it’s important to take your time crafting your response, making sure every word adds to your story. Follow these tips to help your college essay stand out.

1. Be prepared to write a few drafts. 

Your college essay should go through a few drafts before you share the final version with one of your peers or a professional for additional feedback. Take advantage of the rough draft phase by overwriting. Forget about your word count for a moment and let yourself go. Doing so may help you discover something new to say, or help you expand upon your original idea. 

Make editing a separate process from the actual writing. As much as possible, write and then walk away for a period of time (a few hours or even a day). Return to your essay with fresh eyes and see if you can cut the essay, reduce the number of words you’re using, or find a more succinct or focused way to approach your response. 

2. Answer the question and relate it to your unique story.

Your essay should both answer the prompt and convey who you are. You don’t need a dazzling, one-of-a-kind story to get an admissions officer’s attention. Your life is unique to you—only you have had your experiences. 

Make sure that whatever you choose to write about is an authentic representation of who you are. Instead of comparing your essay to someone else in your class, work to make your response the best it can be for you. And as you focus your essay, go one step further by sharing what you’ve learned or how you’ve grown as a result. That kind of reflection can build more depth into your response.  

3. Get specific.

When recounting an experience, incorporate creative writing to your personal statement.  Use details to describe a situation and add a bit of color. Pick strong verbs and a few specific adjectives that correctly highlight the action and scene. Let’s compare these two examples: 

When I got a musical instrument for my birthday, I wasn’t really sure I’d like it. Still, I figured I’d play it daily because I enjoy music. I got better, and soon I made band. I like that I get to go to all the school games.

When my mother surprised me with a clarinet for my 15th birthday, I wondered if I’d enjoy playing it. Over the summer, when my friends gathered outside to enjoy their time off, I practiced my scales every day in my room—and slowly improved. After that hard work and sacrifice, I was excited to earn a place in the marching band.

Both paragraphs recount the same memory, but the second one creates a more memorable picture. 

4. Ask for feedback.

Once you feel as though you’ve developed a final draft, don’t rush to turn it in. Instead, ask one of your favorite teachers or a trusted friend or family member to read it. Ask for constructive feedback on ways to improve. Be prepared to make changes if something is unclear or if they think there’s a better way to phrase a section. But make sure you continue to write in your voice so the college gets to know who you are instead of someone else.

When you’re feeling confident, review your work one last time for grammar and spelling. Don’t let a small error override an otherwise thoughtful, engaging essay.

Keep learning 

You may find it helpful to brush up on your creative writing skills so you can express yourself clearly and colorfully before applying to college. On Coursera, you can enroll in Wesleyan University’s Creative Writing specialization for free. Or you can find courses that can help you gain more knowledge of the college admissions process . 

Article sources

1. Common App. “ Are There Word Limits? , https://appsupport.commonapp.org/s/article/are-there-word-limits-kudeoeos." Accessed January 30, 2024.

2. US News and World Report. “ 10 Colleges That Received the Most Applications ,  https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/colleges-that-received-the-most-applications." Accessed January 30, 2024.

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Coursera staff.

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Do you wonder how many pages a given number of words is? This website converts the number of words to the number of pages, online and for free. This tool is useful when writing essays at university to determine how many pages you are required to write.

The number of pages changes depending on the number of words, the font and the font size. You can select the following fonts: Arial, Calibri, Comic sans MS, Courier New, Times New Roman and Verdana. Available spacing options: single spaced, 1.5, double spaced.

Note: This calculator provides an indication only and works most accurately for an academic essay with four paragraphs per page and no (sub)headings.

Enter details below

The overview below provides an indication of the number of pages required (based on font: arial, font size: 12, single spaced):

• How many pages is 500 words? 1.1 pages
• How many pages is 600 words? 1.3 pages
• How many pages is 750 words? 1.8 pages
• How many pages is 800 words? 1.8 pages
• How many pages is 1000 words? 2.2 pages
• How many pages is 1200 words? 2.7 pages
• How many pages is 1500 words? 3.3 pages
• How many pages is 2000 words? 4.4 pages
• How many pages is 2500 words? 5.6 pages
• How many pages is 3000 words? 6.7 pages
• How many pages is 4000 words? 8.9 pages
• How many pages is 5000 words? 11.1 pages
• How many pages is 6000 words? 13.3 pages
• How many pages is 8000 words? 17.8 pages
• How many pages is 10000 words? 22.2 pages
• How many words is 1 page? 450 words
• How many words is 2 page? 900 words
• How many words is 3 page? 1350 words
• How many words is 4 page? 1800 words
• How many words is 5 page? 2250 words
• How many words is 6 page? 2700 words
• How many words is 7 page? 3150 words
• How many words is 8 page? 3600 words
• How many words is 10 page? 4500 words
• How many words is 12 page? 5400 words
• How many words is 15 page? 6750 words
• How many words is 20 page? 9000 words
• How many words is 30 page? 13500 words
• How many words is 50 page? 22500 words
• How many words is 100 page? 45000 words

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Convert How Many Words Fit on a Page

Table of Contents

Knowing  how many words fit on a page   might be handy when trying to outline an essay. 

There are times when it is helpful to know how many words per page you are writing. While we can generally assume that one page is 500 words (single-spaced) or 250 words (double-spaced), this is a ballpark figure. 

Several factors can influence the number of words that fit on a page. Examples of such elements include typeface, font size, spacing elements, margin spacing, and paragraph length. 

As such, detailed knowledge of word-to-page conversion is necessary to answer how many words are found on a page. 

1. Find an Easier Way to Count

It’s a big problem to determine the number of words that fit on a page . Most people have no idea how many terms can a single page contain.

The issue might make you nervous about reaching a specific word count while keeping your text on one page.

It can be time-consuming and frustrating to count words on a page manually. Indeed, you might be wondering if there must be a better way. 

If you want to convert the number of words into several pages, it’s a beautiful idea. You’ll get a clearer view of how much work you will do and have done.

2. Use Words-to-Page Counters

You can find the correct number of words in a paper by converting from “words-to-page.”

A word-to-page calculator makes calculating the number of words on a page more manageable. Use the “Words-per-page” option to determine how many terms you can fit into various pages.

The reason why it’s recommended for you to use a words-to-page counter is that manually counting words might go difficult for you.

You can use any word count calculator in cases like this. 

By entering the document file, you can estimate how many words are on the page. It will tell you how many are on it. It will also show you a list of the terms used on the page, including how often each word appears.

3. Determines Proper Font Style

Words per page calculators allow you to estimate more accurately if you are familiar with writing and what font style to use.

For pages with one-inch margins, Times New Roman font, and minimal spacing elements, 500 words are the best rule of thumb. For example, a 3-4 page double-spaced paper is 750 to 1000 words, and a 7-page double-spaced paper would be 1750 words. 

A typical letter-size sheet with 1″ margins using a standard font like Times New Roman can hold 500 words. The same scenario would have 250 words for a half-page of text.

The 500 words, handwritten and single-spaced, make up two pages. As handwriting is twice as large as words typed in 12-point Arial or Times New Roman fonts, single-spaced handwritten pages will have double-spacing.

4. Helps Revise the Paper

Getting an estimate of how long your text should be will help you make some proper adjustments to your paper.

It can also help you determine how many minutes it would take for someone to read your essay. Counting the approximate number of words on a page will give you a sense of how many words you need to add. This is especially vital for reaching a specific word count.

It will also help you decide if you must set your page formatting to single-spaced or double-spaced.

The reading time for 500 words is approximately 2 minutes. In turn, a page of writing is about 500 words.

Double-spacing means that the letter page will appear as the size of the typed page and noticeably longer. The reading time for 1,500 words, double-spaced, is about 3 minutes. The reading time for ten pages is about 15 minutes. You can check your reading time by the time you take a break or by reading an article in your favorite online magazine. 

5. Identifies Other Vital Factors

Words per page are determined by various factors, including font type, font size, spacing elements, margin space, and paragraph length. 

Word count can vary according to font size, font type, margin size, and spacing elements (single/double space, blank lines, subheadings, graphics).

To outline a paper, you should know how many words fit on a page. That way, you can decide which font style, font size, margins, and subheadings to use.

The words per page calculator should estimate how many words you need to write per page. It will only become possible if you choose these three options.

On the other hand, it can help you estimate how many pages you’ve written if you only know how many words.

• 500 words equate to approximately 1.8 pages
• 750 Words equate to about 2.7 pages
• 1,000 words equate to about 3.7 pages
• 2,000 words equate to about 7.3 pages
• 2,500 words equate to about 9.1 pages

The number of words you need to fit per page depends on the type of paper, formatting , and other oddities. This is a standard to convert on, and it just might be different for you. Read your writing, find an easier way to count, and use your discretion. Have an app or a paragraph counter handy!

Using a word counter app is a super-easy way to determine word counts. 

Remember these simple things to know how many words fit on a page.

Pam is an expert grammarian with years of experience teaching English, writing and ESL Grammar courses at the university level. She is enamored with all things language and fascinated with how we use words to shape our world.

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How to write a 2000-word Essay: What works Best?

Writing a remarkable 2000-word essay is an overwhelming task for students. This type of essay requires an overwhelming amount of knowledge, time to write, and the ability to organize your thoughts concisely. This guide will explain everything you need to complete a 2000-word essay.

How long is a 2000-word essay?

In academic writing, a 2000-word essay is the same as four pages of a single-spaced document or eight pages double-spaced one . Double spacing means there should be blank lines between each line of text that prevent them from blurring together. Your instructor may ask you to double-space the essay to make it easier to read and to allow reviewers to make comments or suggestions about the assignment.

Each page of single-spaced content has 500-550 words, while a double-spaced page has 250-275. If you are using MLA or APA formatting style, the formatting standard for an essay should be (1) double-spaced, (2) Times New Roman font, and (3) one-inch margins all around. If you use Ariel font pages

How Many Paragraphs is a 2000 Words Essay

A 2000-word essay consists of between 7 and 9 paragraphs, each having between 3 and 5 or more full and coherent sentences. Please note that there are no proper rules on how many sentences your paragraph should have since each paragraph discusses different ideas relating to the main topic of your essay.

Some paragraphs could be shorter and others longer. Some paragraphs could be a sentence shorter, and others about half a page long. What matters more is how you structure and complete the paragraphs.

However, you should not concern yourself with the length of your paragraph that you forget what matters most: the content of the paragraphs. Communicate effectively the quality of the message to ensure you answer the topic.

Can I Write 2000 Words in Two Hours?

Writing a 2000-word article in two hours is challenging but not impossible. Typically, a good essay requires in-depth research, a clear structure for the paper, and an organization of your ideas, which requires adequate time.

However, quickly completing an essay depends on your familiarity with the topic and typing speed. Most adults have an average typing speed of 40 words per minute (WPM). However, for experienced typists, the average typing speed is about 76 words per minute. Many college students trying to finish their assignments on time usually type 60-70 words per minute.

If you are having an essay crisis and can’t seem to figure out how to write a 2000-word essay in two hours, use the following tips;

Plan your essay

Take 10 – 15 minutes to organize your thoughts by identifying your essay's main topics and ideas. Focus only on key ideas and avoid unnecessary details to save time. Then, decide how you will organize them in your paper. A great tip is to have a logical order, ensuring a link between all ideas.

Research Efficiently and effectively

All academic papers, especially long-form essays like a 2000-word essay, require in-depth research to gather supporting information for your topic. You need to dedicate a few minutes to gather sources before writing.

Write the Introduction

Use 5-10 minutes to write a compelling introduction, beginning with a hook to grab readers' attention. Then, provide some context about the topic and state your thesis statement.

Write the Body Paragraphs

Allocate 10- 15 minutes to discuss each idea supporting your main topic. If you have 5 ideas, it will take you about 50 minutes to finish writing the body of your essay.

Write Your Conclusion

Use 10-15 minutes to finalize your essay by restating your thesis statement, summarizing the main points, reminding the readers why they should care, and providing recommendations/ suggestions for the main topic.

Revise Your Essay

Use 20 minutes to review your draft to correct any mistakes you made while writing. The final draft should be free of any errors (punctuation, grammar, and spelling) and be plagiarism-free. You must also ensure that all ideas are clearly and concisely written.

Please note that writing a 2000-word essay under time constraints will likely affect the quality of your work; however, following the above tips ensures you finish a well-structured 2000-word essay quickly.

What is the Format for a 2000 Word Essay?

A 2000-word essay is an academic paper with the same format as others. This means it has an introduction, a body paragraph, and a conclusion. Your introduction and conclusion should comprise approximately 25% of the total word count of the essay, while the rest of 75% should be dedicated to the body.

Introductions

An introduction of a 2000-word essay is 5-10% of the total word count. It should be between 100 – 150 words of concisely written content. If you have no idea what to include in the introduction, the following tips will offer a starting point.

• Set the scene
• Introduce the topic or problem under discussion.
• If needed, provide definitions of complex concepts.
• An explanation of why the topic or problem matters. (provide the size or the scope of the matter).
• The purpose of the essay.
• Introduce the thesis statement, which is the central idea of the essay.
• Briefly provide the outline you will use to explain the paper's logic.

Your introduction should be a paragraph or two long since a paragraph is made of 100 words.

The Main Body

A body of a 2000-word essay will make up about 75% of the total word count. It should be divided into 5-7 paragraphs, each discussing one central idea that identifies the main topic. These paragraphs should be 150- 250 words, each supported by 2 or more references. Note that the longer the assignments, the more important it is to provide links that refer to earlier points, thus connecting ideas.

When you begin writing the body, your ideas will likely flow randomly from the mind. Since you are writing for readers with different backgrounds and viewpoints, you must organize these ideas to make it easier for them to process and understand. Use the following format to organize the body of your essay;

• Write a topic sentence that identifies the paragraph topic you will discuss.
• Supporting information , such as examples, details, and evidence, contributes to the main topic. When you provide evidence, ensure you explain why it is relevant to the topic.
• A concluding sentence also acts as a transition to the next paragraph. Provide a conclusion that reminds readers of what they have read and shows the topic's significance.

Use the above format to organize the rest of the body paragraphs. Consider writing this plan on paper and pinning it on your desk to remind yourself whenever you write an essay. 

Additionally, consider using the following writing techniques and tools to help finish your essay in under two hours.

Technique 1: The Pomodoro technique

The Pomodoro Technique. This technique involves working continuously for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break. The Pomodoro technique is effective because it allows you to focus while avoiding burnout. Research shows that taking regular breaks can increase well-being and performance.

Technique 2: Write in Batches

Writing in batches is an effective method to finish a 2000-word essay in two hours. It involves dividing your essay into sections and working on them before taking a break.

Use tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor to help edit your work and ensure no errors before submission.

This is the final paragraph of your essay. Like an introduction, a conclusion makes up about 5-10% of a 2000-word essay. This means that a conclusion for a 2000-word essay has approximately 100-150 words.

If you follow the above format, the total word count will 2050.

How Long Will It Take to Write a 2000 Words Essay?

Finishing a 2000-word essay will take 6-8 hours on average. However, if you are just typing the essay without doing any in-depth research, outlining the work, or adding citations and references, it will take about 50 minutes. For a handwritten essay, it takes about 1.7 hours to finish a 2000-word essay.

Please note that some students can finish a 2000-word essay in just under two hours, while others can take at least five days (2 for in-depth research, 2 for writing the essay, and one for revising and editing) to finish. All this will depend on the complexities of the topic. A complex topic will probably require more time for research, especially if getting the sources for the topic is challenging.

The assignment deadline will also influence whether someone can finish the essay quickly or not. Many students often find themselves swamped with assignments, wondering which to prioritize. If you have a 1000-word essay and another for 2200 words, prioritize the latter and focus on finishing the shorter one later.  

If you want to finish your essay quickly, avoid distractions such as social media, TV, friends, etc.

How Many References Are in a 2000 Words Essay

A 2000-word essay should have between 10 and 20 high-quality references. Please take note that these are just suggestions. Logically, there should be a source in every paragraph. Each argument supported by credible evidence must have a reference. Some factors that will determine how many references each of your paragraphs will have include:

The Type of Research

If you are conducting empirical research, you will need more references compared to doing research for a theoretical paper. This is because the latter focuses on synthesizing existing concepts.

Depth of the Research

If your 2000-word essay is about a complex topic, you must do more thorough research to locate all the evidence supporting or refuting your claims. This means your essay will have more references than one that does not need much research.

Assignment’s Requirements

Your instructors will specify the number of references to use in your essay; they might verbally communicate this in class or highlight it on the assignment prompt. Thus, it's essential to always read and understand your prompt before working on the assignment.

If there are no specifications about essay references, check with your instructor how many are appropriate for the type of essay you are writing.

Writing Time by Word Counts

The following table outlines how long it takes to complete an essay, depending on the number of words.

From the above table, it's clear that a person's typing speed will dictate whether they can finish an assignment quickly or not.

Writing Time by Page Counts

Wondering how long it takes to complete a page? The table below will let you know how long it will take to finish an essay based on page counts.

This rough estimate is based on slow, average, and fast writers.

Tips to Help You Finish a 2000 Words Essay

So, you left your 2000-word essay until the last minute and can't seem to figure out how to finish it on time? No worries. The following tips can help.

Eat a Good Breakfast

A study published in the National Library of Medicine has shown that eating a good breakfast is associated with positive outcomes for learners and professionals. Breakfast gives you energy after fasting overnight for more than 7 hours. Take some brain food fuel, such as yogurts topped with berries, to give you steady energy as you write your essay. This will prevent you from feeling hungry, which could be a distraction.

Pick Your Equipment and Workstation

When you sit down to write, everything must be within reach. So, pick a conducive environment away from distractions and collect all materials like your laptops, pens, notebooks, etc.

Set Time Management Goals

When you have an urgent assignment that is 2000 words long, time management is key to success. Good time management skills will help you finish the task quickly while avoiding distractions. You can break up your tasks into chunks and work on them individually.

Use Online Tools to Speed Up the Research Process

Research can take an awful amount of time, especially for a complex topic. So, speed up the process by using online tools like Google Scholar to find sources for your essay.

Also, check if your instructor has published a list of sources on your module's online platform. Most of them are kind enough to put them online.

Write Your Notes directly on Your Laptop.

Normally, when researching a topic, you will write ideas in a notebook and then use it later when typing on your laptop. However, since you are in a hurry, skip this step and directly type the ideas and their sources on our computer. Once you are done, you can drag and drop paragraphs in the correct order.

An essay that is 2000 words long is a common type of essay you will encounter in school. You must be well prepared by understanding what it takes to complete this type of essay. Whether you are a seasoned writer or a beginner, the above guide will be helpful when writing a 2000-word essay.

If you are struggling with writing a paper or essay that is 2000 or 2200 words long, we can help. EssayManiacs has a team of professional writers who can write such an essay in under a day or between 7 and 8 hours or less. Therefore, if you want help with your assignments , we are online and ready to help. Please place an order, and we will assign your paper to a writer within the next few minutes. In terms of cost, it should cost you around $18-25/page, depending on the urgency. Engage us for a discount.

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• Writing Tips

How Many Paragraphs Should an Essay Have?

• 6-minute read
• 19th May 2023

You have an essay to write. You’ve researched the topic and crafted a strong thesis statement . Now it’s time to open the laptop and start tapping away on the keyboard. You know the required word count, but you’re unsure of one thing: How many paragraphs should you have in the essay? Gee, it would’ve been nice if your professor had specified that, huh?

No worries, friend, because in this post, we’ll provide a guide to how many paragraphs an essay should have . Generally, the number of paragraphs will depend on how many words and how many supporting details you need (more on that later). We’ll also explore the concept of paragraphs if you’re wondering what they’re all about. And remember, paragraphs serve a purpose. You can’t submit an essay without using them!

What Is a Paragraph?

You likely know what a paragraph is, but can you define it properly in plain English? Don’t feel bad if that question made you shake your head. Off the top of our heads, many of us can’t explain what a paragraph is .

A paragraph comprises at least five sentences about a particular topic. A paragraph must begin with a well-crafted topic sentence , which is then followed by ideas that support that sentence. To move the essay forward, the paragraph should flow well, and the sentences should be relevant.

Why Are Paragraphs Important?

Paragraphs expand on points you make about a topic, painting a vivid picture for the reader. Paragraphs break down information into chunks, which are easier to read than one giant, uninterrupted body of text. If your essay doesn’t use paragraphs, it likely won’t earn a good grade!

 How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

As mentioned, the number of paragraphs will depend on the word count and the quantity of supporting ideas required. However, if you have to write at least 1,000 words, you should aim for at least five paragraphs. Every essay should have an introduction and a conclusion. The reader needs to get a basic introduction to the topic and understand your thesis statement. They must also see key takeaway points at the end of the essay.

As a rule, a five-paragraph essay would look like this:

• Introduction (with thesis statement)
• Main idea 1 (with supporting details)
• Main idea 2 (with supporting details)
• Main idea 3 (with supporting details)

Your supporting details should include material (such as quotations or facts) from credible sources when writing the main idea paragraphs.

If you think your essay could benefit from having more than five paragraphs, add them! Just make sure they’re relevant to the topic.

Professors don’t care so much about the number of paragraphs; they want you to satisfy the minimum word requirement. Assignment rubrics rarely state the number of required paragraphs. It will be up to you to decide how many to write, and we urge you to research the assigned topic before writing the essay. Your main ideas from the research will generate most of the paragraphs.

When Should I Start a New Paragraph?

Surprisingly, some students aren’t aware that they should break up some of the paragraphs in their essays . You need to start new paragraphs to keep your reader engaged.

As well as starting a new paragraph after the introduction and another for the conclusion, you should do so when you’re introducing a new idea or presenting contrasting information.

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Starting a paragraph often involves using transitional words or phrases to signal to the reader that you’re presenting a new idea. Failing to use these cues may cause confusion for the reader and undermine your essay’s coherence.

Let’s consider examples of transitional words and phrases in action in a conclusion. Note that the essay is about too much mobile device screen time and that transitional words and phrases can occur later in a paragraph too:

Thanks to “In conclusion” and “Additionally,” the reader clearly knows that they are now in the conclusion stage. They can also follow the logic and development of the essay more easily.

How Do I Know Whether I Have Enough Paragraphs?

While no magic number exists for how many paragraphs you need, you should know when you have enough to satisfy the requirements of the assignment. It helps if you can answer yes to the following questions:

• Does my essay have both an introduction and a conclusion?
• Have I provided enough main ideas with supporting details, including quotes and cited information?
• Does my essay develop the thesis statement?
• Does my essay adequately inform the reader about the topic?
• Have I provided at least one takeaway for the reader?

 Conclusion

Professors aren’t necessarily looking for a specific number of paragraphs in an essay; it’s the word count that matters. You should see the word count as a guide for a suitable number of paragraphs. As a rule, five paragraphs should suffice for a 1,000-word essay. As long as you have an introduction and a conclusion and provide enough supporting details for the main ideas in your body paragraphs, you should be good to go.

Remember to start a new paragraph when introducing new ideas or presenting contrasting information. Your reader needs to be able to follow the essay throughout, and a single, unbroken block of text would be difficult to read. Transitional words and phrases help start new paragraphs, so don’t forget to use them!

As with any writing, we always recommend proofreading your essay after you’ve finished it. This step will help to detect typos, extra spacing, and grammatical errors. A second pair of eyes is always useful, so we recommend asking our proofreading experts to review your essay . They’ll correct your grammar, ensure perfect spelling, and offer suggestions to improve your essay. You can even submit a 500-word document for free!

1. What is a paragraph and what is its purpose?

A paragraph is a group of sentences that expand on a single idea. The purpose of a paragraph is to introduce an idea and then develop it with supporting details.

2. What are the benefits of paragraphs?

Paragraphs make your essay easy to read by providing structure and flow. They let you transition from one idea to another. New paragraphs allow you to tell your reader that you’ve covered one point and are moving on to the next.

3. How many paragraphs does a typical essay have?

An essay of at least 1,000 words usually has five paragraphs. It’s best to use the required word count as a guide to the number of paragraphs you’ll need.

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How Many Paragraphs in an Essay?

As a rule, you’ll write your essay in three main parts. First, you’ll introduce your topic to your reader. Next, you will have body text in which you discuss the topic in more detail, and finally, you’ll have a conclusion that tells your reader what you were able to see after looking into the facts or thinking through the topic.

In its simplest form, an essay can consist of three paragraphs with one paragraph being devoted to each section. Proponents of the five paragraph essay say that the body text should consist of three paragraphs, but in reality, it’s fine to write more or fewer paragraphs in this section.

Guessing How Many Paragraphs Before You Begin

This is a rule of thumb, which means it won’t always work quite that way, but it’s handy all the same. In academic work, your paragraphs are likely to be a bit longer than most of the ones you see in this blog post. On average, there are usually 100 to 200 words in a paragraph . So if you’d like a guesstimate, you can assume that a 1,000-word essay will have between five and ten paragraphs.

What Points Do You Have to Cover?

Another, less limiting and more accurate way to work out how many paragraphs you need to cover your topic is to look at the main points you have to cover in the body text. A paragraph contains all the ideas that support or explain a single concept.

When you are planning your essay, you will think of or research the main elements that are needed in the body text. It would be safe to assume you need at least one paragraph for each of these. Of course, if there is a lot of information to cover in order to explore each area, you may need more.

For example, if you are writing an essay on childhood development and exposure to technology, you will want to look into the physical, psychological and cognitive developmental effects of tech on kids. When you research this topic, you will find that there are contrasting points of view and researchers have identified several physical, developmental, and psychological effects of technology use in children.

Assuming five psychological effects have been identified, you can assume you’ll need to write five paragraphs if you are going to write a relatively in-depth essay. But if both those who say technology is bad for kids and those who say it can be good have done a great deal of work on the sub-topic, you might want to make that ten paragraphs so that you can cover both sides of the argument and look into how earlier authors reached their conclusions.

Of course, if you have been set a relatively short word limit , you may not be able to go in-depth at all, in which case a paragraph for each of the main sub-topics (psychology, physical development, and cognitive development) will likely be adequate.

Essay Content Is More Important Than the Number of Paragraphs

Ultimately, your essay will be evaluated on the information you present, not on the number of paragraphs in the essay. Early in your academic life, teachers and lecturers may give you both a structure for your essay and a guideline on how long each part of the essay should be. I have seen essay instructions say how many marks are allocated for each section, and my trick is to take the total word count and allocate a percentage of words to each section based on the percentage of marks you can get for it. After all, if the teacher is allocating 80 marks for content in total and you can see 50% of the mark relates to a certain part of the essay, then 50% of your essay’s words should be devoted to that section.

Sometimes, you’ll just be given a topic and told to air your opinion. This gives you more freedom, but it’s a tad more difficult. The research will show you how many angles you should look at, and it’ll help you to find information that both supports and contradicts your point of view. To make a strong argument, you need to look at both supporting and contradictory information.

To avoid getting tangled up in one aspect of the discussion, you’ll have to decide how long it should be. If it’s the most important aspect informing your conclusion, you can spend a little more time (and words) on that particular point. It could run into several paragraphs rather than just one or two.

Always Remember the Purpose of Paragraphs

Paragraphs structure information into sub-topics, and they make your work easier to read and understand thanks to the structure they provide. With careful advance planning, you’ll be able to work out more or less how many paragraphs you need to complete your essay.

How many paragraphs is…

For those looking for a general rule-of-thumb, below are some estimates on the number of paragraphs there would be in an essay of different lengths based on an average length of 150 words per paragraph. Of course, the number of paragraphs for your essay will depend on many different factors. You can use the following information for a general reference, but don’t take these numbers as literal. .

Basic Essay Word to Paragraphs Conversions

• A 100 word essay is 3 paragraph. (minimum for an essay)
• A 200 word essay is 3 paragraphs. (minimum for an essay)
• A 250 word essay is 3 paragraphs. (minimum for an essay)
• A 300 word essay is 3 paragraphs. (minimum for an essay)
• A 400 word essay is 3 paragraphs. (minimum for an essay)
• A 500 word essay is 3 to 4 paragraphs.
• A 600 word essay is 4 paragraphs.
• A 700 word essay is 4 to 5 paragraphs.
• A 750 word essay is 5 paragraphs.
• A 800 word essay is 5 to 6 paragraphs.
• A 900 word essay is 6 paragraphs.
• A 1,000 word essay is 6 to 7 paragraphs.
• A 1,250 word essay is 8 to 9 paragraphs.
• A 1,500 word essay is 10 paragraphs.
• A 1,750 word essay is 11 to 12 paragraphs.
• A 2,000 word essay is 13 to 14 paragraphs.
• A 2,500 word essay is 16 to 17 paragraphs.
• A 3,000 word essay is 20 paragraphs.
• A 4,000 word essay is 26 to 27 paragraphs.
• A 5,000 word essay is 33 to 34 paragraphs.
• A 6,000 word essay is 40 paragraphs.
• A 7,000 word essay is 46 to 37 paragraphs.
• A 7,500 word essay is 50 paragraphs.
• A 8,000 word essay is 53 to 54 paragraphs.
• A 9,000 word essay is 60 paragraphs.
• A 10,000 word essay is 66 to 67 paragraphs.

I don’t understand, How can a 100, 200, 300 and 400 word essay all have 3 paragraphs if a paragraph is 100 to 200 words long? A 100 word essay should be 1 paragraph or 1/2 a paragraph, not 3 paragraphs. Can someone explain this too me?

A sentence is an idea. A paragraph is a group of ideas that relate to one another. That’s the most important point. The second most important one is remembering that your text consists of introduction, body, conclusion with at LEAST one paragraph for each. While teachers like 100 to 200 word paragraphs, you can’t always apply that. Call it a guideline rather than a rule!

the general rule is that 3 paragraphs are minimum for an essay. So, no matter how short your essay is, you should still need 3 paragraphs. If you are really for some reason writing a 100 word essay, then you should have one short sentence for both your introduction and conclusion.

I was always taught an essay has five paragraphs by my teachers. Did they lie to me? If an essay only needs three paragraphs, why would my teachers tell me that they should have five?

I think the five paragraphs for an essay is more of a rule-of-thumb number that is easy to teach students when they are first learning to write. Your teacher was just trying to make sure you understood how to write, not give you a rule you had to always obey.

I think five paragraphs is a good number to shoot for when writing, but it isn’t a hard-fast rule you need to hit every time. Each essay is different and require more or less paragraphs depending on the information you need to provide in the writing.

yes and no.. i would say a good on as 4 paragraph. Intro, 2 body P, and a conclusion.

My teachers always taught by eight paragraph essays, but five-paragraph essays normally lie precedent to the more advanced or larger essays.

I was taught essays should be 7 paragraphs long, not 5. My teacher said 3 central paragraphs never gives enough detail to the topic, so we should write 5. It makes sense to me and that is how I’ve always done it.

What you’re taught is often a general rule to shoot for, not a rule set in concrete. That’s the case with this. Your teacher felt that 7 paragraphs was a good number for the essays you wrote for her, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. it’s a general rule, not a concrete one.

How many sentences if we don’t know how many sentences we need to write?

The average paragraph contains 5-6 sentences. If you’re feeling a little extra, paragraphs can be 7-10 sentences.

It also depends on whether or not you are bringing outside information into the paragraph as well. Using quotes makes a paragraph longer than not doing so.

I think the length of a paper depends mainly on the instructions given by the instructor. Secondly, I would decide a paper length on the basis of the grading rubric.

I already knew an essay has three paragraphs

Inilividual project: follow all steps and develop a paragraph of your choice and write all expository essay with not less than 500 words of the povoloped paragraph?

On average for a five-paragraph essay, I write around 1,000-1300 words. For an eight paragraph essay, I write around 2,000-2,600 words on the document. Keep in mind your quotes too, you should have one quote per paragraph (expected) or two (recommended). It really is up to the person though, I have a buddy who writes considerably less than I do, but is able to get his point across. It is really up to the person.

Student A: Sir, do we have to write a long essay?

How will I determine my word count for 1300 to 1500 maximum words in the academic writing?

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How to Write a Double-Spaced Essay and Score an A for it

Many guidelines for formatting essays, as presented in rubrics, recommend double-spacing as one of the proper formats for standard comprehensive essays . For instance, when you receive the assignment instructions, essay prompts, or other academic homework assignment instructions, the Spacing of the work is usually specified.

The common spacing specifications include a 1.5 spaced essay, single-spaced essay, and a double-spaced or 2.0 spaced essay. In most cases, instructors will insist that your essay must be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized 8.5" by 11" paper, with margins of 1" on all sides.

In this detailed guide, we focus on the definition of a double-spaced essay, how to double-space an essay on MS Word or Mac Pages, and how to spice up that essay so that you score higher marks.

What is a double-spaced essay?

Here is the meaning of a double-spaced essay : A double-spaced essay is a standard essay written on a standard-sized (8.5" x 11") paper with a one-inch margin around the paper formatted with double spaces between the lines that make a paragraph with no extra spacing between paragraphs.  

In terms of word count, a double-spaced essay contains either 275 or 300 words in total per page, depending on the font used. Formatting a paper in double-spacing makes it easier for the tutor to read through the essay, make corrections within the left spaces, and follow through with ideas in your essay.

The number of words in a double-spacing essay also depends on the page margins you have set for your text. For instance, if you use A-4 sized page, an essay will have fewer words, the same as an A3 page. However, a standard-sized age with one-inch margins all around should have 275 words as a standard.

With short essays being between 250 words and 1000 words, with the most common in college being a 500-word essay, you can write as many words as you wish depending on the scope of the question, essay prompt, and the topic.

In most instances, students are advised to use font 12 points of 11 depending on the font type you are using. Failure to format your essay in the required Spacing might lead to penalties ranging from deduction of grades to poor grades.

As you set out to write or edit your essay, ensure that you choose a font that your professor advises. But this should only be the last thing you do as you polish your essay. For instance, some students find it comfortable writing with a given font, say Arial font 13, and then converting to Times New Roman font 12 when editing.

What is the significance of Double Spacing in essays and assignments?

You are probably wondering why we double-space essays or why it is the preferred standard for essays you write in high school and college. Below are some of the top three reasons why teachers want essays to be double-spaced.

• Double-spacing makes it easier to read through the document quickly as the lines do not blur together.
• Double-spaced essays are also reader-friendly. A reader can easily read and trace the points in your essay without needing extra aids or larger fonts.
• Double-spaced essays or assignments are also preferred because they leave whitespaces where the instructors can write comments on the paper.
• Another reason is that double-spaced essays give you (the essayist) enough room to communicate to your readers. The Spacing enhances the spatial mode of the essay or paper, making it easier to spot main points, read without getting lost or straying into other lines, and use one's fingers.

Double-Spacing vs. Other tyles of Spacing for Essays

When writing an essay, report, dissertation, annotated bibliography, or research paper for school, you should be aware of the type of Spacing required. There are three types of Spacing for school assignments: single, 1.5, and double Spacing.

A double-spaced paper or document, which is the most common, entails creating 2.0 spaces between lines in a paragraph without spaces between paragraphs. Double-spacing is a norm of most college assignments; even dissertations and theses are mostly double-spaced.

A 1.5 spaced essay or document means that the lines or sentences in a paragraph are spaced 1.5 mm from one another without spaces between paragraphs.

Finally, a single-spaced paper has little white spaces between the typed lines in the paragraphs. The lines within the paragraph are spaced 1.0 from one another. This means that there is little room for comments, remarks, or feedback from the professor. You should only use single and 1.5 spacing if your instructor advises so.

If you have typed your paper and realize that you have the wrong spacing, do not worry. You can do the Spacing of an essay or document either on a word document or on a Mac, as we shall explain shortly. The good news is that you can do this at any point in your writing process. The process will differ depending on the program you are using. Let's explore widely.

If you are wondering what a double-spaced essay looks like, have a look below.

Here is how single Spacing should look like in an essay:

Pages vs. Spacing Chart

To try to bring things to their perspective, here is a table comparing word count to Spacing. It can help you plan your essays.

You can simply conclude from the table abov e that a single-spaced page has the exact word count as twice a double-spaced paper.

How to set Double-Spacing on your Computer

Some people prefer to use other font styles and formats when writing, then edit the entire document to the required format and Spacing later, which is okay. Others like to keep everything organized from the beginning, which means setting double-spacing from the onset. Whether on Mac Page's word processor or MS word processor, here are some steps to take.

Pages on a Mac

If you are using a Page's word processor on a mac, you can follow these steps to double-space your paper:

• Highlight the text that you wish to double-space
• Click on Inspector, a blue button on the top right of your window
• In the new window, select the Text tab or the "T."
• Find the section labeled Spacing and type 2 into the box to the right of the slide bar.

On Microsoft Word Processor

If you are typing your assignment on a word document, follow the following steps to double-space it:

1. Select the text that you wish to change its Spacing

2. Under the Home tab , go to the Paragraph Click on the small arrow in the bottom left corner, as shown below.

3. A new window will pop up with various settings, including general, indentation, and Spacing, as shown in the figure below.

4. Click on the line spacing drop-down arrow

5. Select " Double " from the list

6. Check the " Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style ."

7. Press OK to execute the changes and save

The process is more or less the same for all Microsoft word processing versions. 

You can also adjust the line-spacing from the toolbar on your Microsoft word processor . This is probably the best way if you are one of those that want a page with double-spacing from the onset.

1. Under the Paragraph section of the Home Tab , locate the line-spacing button .

2. Click on the button to expand it as shown below.

3. Choose 2 . 0 for double-spacing , 1.5 for 1.5 line-spacing, and 1.0 for single spacing.

4. Click on OK to make the paper double-spaced.

How to Write a Double-Spaced Essay: 9 Steps to Take

Suppose you are assigned to write a double-spacing essay and you are wondering how to proceed, here is a little cheat sheet to keep you going. We asked our top essay writers and here were their exact recommendations; they can help you craft a double-spaced essay or assignment.

1. Read the essay prompt

The first thing you should always do when assigned to write a double-spaced essay is to thoroughly read the assignment prompt. It helps you unpack the question, brainstorm on a good topic, and pick the best topic for your essay. additionally, you also get to understand the Spacing, font type and size, and length/wordcount of your essay. It is an integral step in writing an essay.

2. Select a good essay topic

After reading the instructions, you need to rewrite the question on your own terms, conduct some research, evaluate the viable topics, then choose a hot topic for your essay. depending on your area of study, select a topic that is neither too narrow nor too broad. Go with a topic that is easy to find resources and one that you have genuine interest in writing a paper. If you are left with the option of selecting a topic on your own, select a topic that is relevant to the subject of study.

3. Use appropriate evidence

We cannot insist less how much it is important to cite all the sources that you use in an essay. First, failure to cite sources used in an essay could amount to plagiarism, which is a punishable offense in higher education and even professional realms. Therefore, you need to manage your in-text citations and reference list to ensure that your paper has some scholarly rigor. Citing facts paraphrased, quoted, or summarized from a source bolsters the arguments in the paragraphs of your essay. It brings in a string of a scholarly streak that makes the paper flow, make sense, and support your thesis statement.

4. Present your facts well

When planning for your essay or writing an essay outline/structure, you ought to have thought of the scaffolding of your essay. An essay scaffold refers to the order in which you present your arguments, themes, or texts in an essay. Have some semblance of organization in your essay. As an essayist, ensure that you substantiate your claims using proper evidence.

Instead of casually presenting an idea because you do not believe in it, use the available empirical evidence to make the essay even more desirable. It is also appropriate not to jump into unwarranted or unsupported conclusions.

If you do so, let it be on grounds of the evidence presented to support your thesis statement. Equally, your essay must always address the readers, so focus on what would interest them. From the title to the reference page, ensure that your readers are well-entertained and hooked.

5. Have a good essay structure

Apart from determining the order of argument, ensure that your essay is also well-structured. A comprehensive essay with a definite structure intrigues the readers. It also simplifies the writing process because everything falls into its rightful place.

You will have a laser-sharp focus on a structured essay than an essay you write haphazardly. Such an essay (a poorly-planned essay) will probably miss a thing or two. But when you have an essay outline , your chances of intriguing your readers increased. In short, a well-structured essay is reader-friendly.

Instead of beginning with the introduction, like anyone else, why not begin with the body paragraphs. Because you have a preliminary thesis, your body paragraphs can be developed without the introduction.

You can then finalize the writing process by tweaking the thesis into a final thesis, based on the arguments on the body paragraphs, and then writing a catchy introduction.

When you have your introduction, you can now finalize the writing process by writing an equally catchy conclusion that leaves your readers yearning for more.

As long as you maintain the standard format of a three-paragraph or a five-paragraph essay, whichever order you use to write does not matter provided the quality of the essay is met.

Choose the essay scaffold depending on the type of essay you are writing. For instance, you can use Toulmin, classic argument method, or Rogerian approach when writing an argumentative essay . similarly, you can choose to use chronology or point-by-point contrast when writing a classification or compare and contrast essay .

6. Use simple vocabulary

When writing any essay, it is not the chance to measure who knows what vocabulary. Instead, it is a chance to present facts from research to reinforce your ideas and thoughts on a given topic. Resist the temptation of using tough words to impress your teacher. Simplicity always wins when it comes to essay writing. Write in plain and simple language.

Use the ordinary words that makes it easier for your instructor to read and flow with your ideas. They never have the time to peruse a thesaurus, and even if they do, you would probably irritate their appetite leading to poor grades.

Use simple common words to communicate with the audience. Most engaging and top-grade essays are written in simple language. Students who write simple papers end up scoring better, as long as the facts are presented, flowing, and well organized.

7. Use short and long sentences

Every piece of assignment you write is meant to impress your readers. Using short sentences and long sentences blended together makes an essay readable. Short sentences are brief, easy to understand, and allow for easier navigation.

Although sometimes it is tempting to use complex sentences, they are counted as run-on or ambiguous sentences. When writing, this should not trouble you. However, when editing the paper, shorten the long sentences that have empty but complex vocabularies. It narrows down to simplicity again.

All our writers are better because they have mastered the art of balancing short and long sentences. With such a craft, you can convince even the toughest professor on earth for the best grades.

Brevity, coherence, accuracy, composition, and clarity comes from a mastery of how to use short sentences. So, try to practice often and use this approach for success in your essays.

8. Balance your paragraphs

To achieve a perfect paragraph in an essay is akin to getting an A+. It is not hard although it is something that most people struggle with.

Ensure that your topic sentences achieve cohesion and coherence. Cohesion means a good flow while coherence means achieving a sense of the whole. Your paragraphs should transition into one another.

Each paragraph should present a single idea linked to the order. Check out our guide on the PEEL paragraphing format . We also have a checklist for a good essay paragraph . A paragraph is an indispensable or irreplaceable node within a coherent sequence of logic. They are the building blocks of the essays. So, make them count.

Finally, your paragraphs need to be balanced in terms of number of words. Remember, by default the body paragraphs comprise 80% of the entire word count. This means that if you are writing a five-paragraph essay, the three body paragraphs should be spread to cover for the same.

9. Edit and format correctly

The writing process is no doubt the hardest part. Since it comes with researching, reading, and critical thinking, by the time you are done chances are that you are exhausted and probably fatigued. If you make the mistake of rushing directly to edit and format the paper, you'll probably make mistakes. It is the sole reason why it is good to plan an essay � allocate some good time for editing and polishing the essay or any assignment for that matter.

Now, when you're done with writing, take some much-deserved break. You can go for a walk, have a nap, watch your favorite show, activate your social media and plug back, or visit a friend, whatever will ease your mind.

After the rest, spend some quality time objectively reading, editing, and formatting your essay. focus on spelling, grammar, stylistic, and organization mistakes. You should also check the right Spacing, fonts, and font type. If you find the process consuming and tiresome, you can use our essay editing service. We have keen editors who can always help.

After everything is okay, check your paper for plagiarism, and submit it before the deadline.

Parting Shot!

To this end, you now understand what a double-spaced essay is, how to set double Spacing on your Computer, and how to make a double-spacing interesting enough to earn you a better grade.

Whether you are writing in MLA, Harvard, APA , or Chicago, the process remains the same. If you need tips on how to make an essay longer , check out our guide on the same. We also have various guides that can help you become a better essay writer.

Related: How to indent in an essay or paper.

Otherwise, if all you need is someone who can assist you with writing a well-researched, refined, and polished school essay, we have excellent and talented writers on the wait. Place an order through the form on our homepage and experience a perfect essay help you have never seen before.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

6 Page Essay: Examples, Topics, & Word Count

What does a six page essay look like? If you’re searching for an answer to this question, you’re in the right place! Such a paper is a standard high school and college assignment. That’s why it might be written on almost any topic. Police brutality, the Holocaust, obesity, and overpopulation are just some examples.

A 6 page essay word count is usually 1450 to 1500 words (12 pt., double-spaced). The length of a typical academic paragraph is 100 to 150 words. So, there are 10 to 15 paragraphs in a six page essay.

If you need 6 page essay examples, take a look at the list below. We’ve collected A+ samples for you to get inspired. Good luck with your essay!

6-page Essay Examples: 9123 Samples

Innovation in history: how guns changed the world.

• Subjects: Sociology Violence
• Words: 1493

Social Security System In The United States

• Subjects: Economics Finance
• Words: 1969

Professional Issues for Child and Youth Care Practitioners in School Based Settings

• Subjects: Education Teacher Career
• Words: 1787

Al-JAZEERA “Arabic Television Network”

• Subjects: Business Company Analysis
• Words: 1631

Literature Study on Rising Incidence of Cyber Pedophilia

• Words: 1671

Drawing Lessons for Beginners

• Subjects: Art Paintings
• Words: 2117

EatNGas Performance Appraisal System

• Subjects: Business Management

Management of Information Systems

• Words: 1736

Saudi Arabia’s Oil Sector

• Subjects: Economics Inflation

Analysis and Review of the Decisions made in the Simulation of the Lenity Hospital for Advanced Care (LHAC)

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Healthcare Institution
• Words: 1655

Adult Learning and Education

• Subjects: Adult Education Education
• Words: 1628

Trends in Consumer Buying Habits

• Subjects: Consumer Science Economics
• Words: 1703

Happiness and Morality

• Subjects: Ethics Sociology
• Words: 1828

Organizing and Leading with RI Strategy

• Words: 1626

Towards the Conceptualization of a Non–Linear ISD Model

• Subjects: Approach to Learning Education
• Words: 1302

Maternal Mortality: Situations, Policies and Programs

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Healthcare Research
• Words: 2076

Concepts of Alzheimer’s Disease

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Neurology
• Words: 1917

Enhancement Drugs in Sports Should Be Banned: An Argumentative Paper

• Subjects: Sports Sports Culture
• Words: 1695

A Clockwork Orange: Setting and Literary Devices

• Subjects: British Literature Literature
• Words: 1662

Disaster Recovery Plan

• Subjects: Business Strategic Management
• Words: 1940

Video Games Addiction: Is It Real?

• Subjects: Psychology Psychology of Abuse
• Words: 1734

Where Does the Path to Smoking Addiction Start?

• Words: 2078

Critical Analysis of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

• Subjects: American Literature Literature
• Words: 1754

Pros and Cons of Abortion to the Society Argumentative Essay

• Words: 2221

Women’s Participation in World’s Development: Importance of Understanding

• Subjects: History Women Studies
• Words: 1399

Bob Dylan Blowin In the Wind

• Subjects: Art Musical Compositions
• Words: 1816

Video Games Do Enhance Learning Ability

• Subjects: Education Education Theories
• Words: 1660

Negative Impact of Internet on Society Essay

• Subjects: Sociological Theories Sociology
• Words: 1808

Langston Hughes and Black Elite

• Subjects: Comparative Literature Literature
• Words: 1702

Resource Identification, Evaluation and Selection: Congestive Heart Failure

• Words: 2988

Persuasive Piece: A White Paper

• Subjects: Law Taxation Law
• Words: 1651

The Extent at Which Personality Traits Can Predict a Person’s Leadership Abilities

• Subjects: Development Psychology

Salem Witch Trials Causes

• Subjects: History United States
• Words: 1666

Can Pollution Rights Trading Effectively Control Environmental Problems?

• Subjects: Environment Global Warming

Fast Food and Hate Groups

• Subjects: Diet & Nutrition Food Safety

Charles Chesnutt’s “The Wife of His Youth”

• Subjects: History Racism in USA
• Words: 1712

Neurological Disorder: Effects of Schizophrenia on the Brain and Behavior

• Subjects: Psychological Issues Psychology
• Words: 1679

Decision making: Purchasing a House

• Subjects: Economics Housing
• Words: 1630

Bellevue Mine Explosion, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, December 9, 1910

• Subjects: Accidents & Protection Tech & Engineering
• Words: 1636

Sex/Gender Differences in Aggression

• Words: 1724

The Search for Knowledge

• Subjects: Sciences Scientific Method
• Words: 1582

Small Businesses Attractivity

• Words: 1673

The Peculiarity of Class Stratification

• Subjects: Sociological Issues Sociology

Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

• Subjects: Religion Theology
• Words: 1618

The Effects of Social Networking Sites on an Individual’s Life

• Words: 1697

Striving for the Ultimate Knowledge: Eli’s Mission. Video Game

• Subjects: Computer Science Tech & Engineering
• Words: 1953

Discourse of the Information Society

• Subjects: Internet Tech & Engineering
• Words: 1595

Effects of divorce on young children

• Words: 1799

Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards

• Subjects: Politicians Politics & Government
• Words: 1775

How GPS locates and finds the user position

• Subjects: Geography Sciences

Should We Have Mandatory Drug Testing For Professional Athletes?

• Words: 1705

Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper & Trifles

• Subjects: Family Drama Literature
• Words: 2156

Political Firsts: Hiram Rhodes Revels and Romualdo Pacheco

• Words: 1811

Alternative Healthcare: Facilitating Holistic Nursing Practice

• Subjects: Health & Medicine Nursing
• Words: 1818

Brief Vitae on English Writers

• Subjects: Literature Writers
• Words: 1947

Evaluation of the Relevance of Organizational Behavior as a Management

• Words: 1643

Papyrus: Its Invention and Impact on the World

• Subjects: Ancient History History
• Words: 1783

Symbolism in three literature works

• Words: 1667

ESD Plan as a Mitigation Strategy and Solution for Global Warming

• Subjects: Disasters Environment
• Words: 1999

Economic and Social Problems in the Tampa City

• Subjects: Racism Sociology
• Words: 1634

Industry and Competitive Analysis

• Subjects: Business Marketing
• Words: 1669

To what extent did the text promote socialism?

• Words: 1868

Graphic Design: Fine Arts or Social Science?

• Subjects: Design Graphic Design
• Words: 1615

China’s Political, Religious, and Ideological Systems Influencing

• Subjects: Asia History

American Religious Literature Development

• Subjects: Literature World Literature
• Words: 1932

Steps of the Job Application Process

• Subjects: Business Business Communication
• Words: 1987

Problems facing tourism in Africa

• Subjects: Tourism Trips and Tours
• Words: 1716

Effects of social-economic trends on suburbanization in Australia

• Subjects: Economic Trends Economics
• Words: 1760

Does Decline of Social Capital Matter?

• Subjects: Elections Politics & Government
• Words: 1742

History of Jazz Music

• Subjects: Art Music

Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow

• Subjects: Eastern Europe History
• Words: 1644

Sweet Are the Fruits. Through Pablo Neruda’s Prism

Common theme between books.

• Words: 1737

Personal Experience Into Poetry: Works Analysis

• Words: 1664

To Kill a Mockingbird

• Words: 1448

The Importance of Social Contract Theory in Modern Society

• Subjects: Politics & Government Social & Political Theory
• Words: 1743

Effects of Globalization and Increased Modernity on Indigenous and Native Populations across the World

• Subjects: Anthropology Sciences
• Words: 2316

Oedipus Rex Critical Analysis | Critical Writing Example

• Subjects: Literature Plays
• Words: 1189

Social and Cultural Diversity and Stereotypes

• Subjects: Cultural Issues Culture
• Words: 1721

White Collar Crime: Embezzlement Another High Dollar Scheme

• Words: 1668

Politics in the 1960s: Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs Invasion, Berlin Wall

• Words: 1645

The Agricultural Revolution: From the Neolithic Age to a New Era of Agricultural Growth

• Words: 1614

The Overview of US-KSA Economic Relations in 1970-2000

• Subjects: International Relations Politics & Government

Theme of Jealousy in Othello by Shakespeare

• Words: 1694

Monopolistic Competition

Are hybrid cars worth it.

• Subjects: Engineering Tech & Engineering
• Words: 2008

Brand Consumption in the UAE

• Subjects: Brand Management Business
• Words: 1691

Are Women Better Parents Than Men? Essay

• Subjects: Family Members Family, Life & Experiences
• Words: 1904

TSA and the Implementations of the Body Scanners in Airports

• Subjects: Homeland Security Law

UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations, Assistance & Promotion

Witchcraft in europe, 1450 – 1750.

• Subjects: History Western Europe

The Economic Crisis in Dubai 2008

• Subjects: Economic Systems & Principles Economics
• Words: 1710

The dispute about the Persian Gulf name

• Words: 1597

Ecological Problems Play Little Role in Generating Violent Conflict

• Subjects: Ecology Environment
• Words: 1685

Private School Teaching V.S. Public School Teaching

• Subjects: Education Study Courses and Education Programs

Five Faces of Oppression

• Words: 1706

The Impact of Fun and Humor in the Workplace on Employee Morale and Performance

• Words: 1989

Contemporary Design Issues in Film Industry

• Subjects: Art Cinema Art

Environmental Management: Green Taxes

• Subjects: Air Pollution Environment
• Words: 1687

Generation of Electricity in OECD Countries and Its Sources

• Words: 1308

A Typical Household Family

• Words: 1648

Barton Company Performance and Strategies

• Subjects: Business Company Missions
• Words: 1745

One Character, Two Worlds: “Kim” by Rudyard Kipling

• Words: 1850

Politics and the English Language: Analysis of George Orwell’s Essay

• Subjects: Importance of Language Linguistics

Machinery and Modern Industry

• Subjects: Tech & Engineering Technology Effect

Ted: Not Really a Kid’s Movie

• Subjects: Art Film Studies

Wooden Houses Vs Concrete houses in Saudi Arabia

• Subjects: Design Worldwide Architecture

Parents as Failed Role Models: A Doll’s House and Fight Club

• Subjects: Dramatical Novel Literature
• Words: 1929

Effects of Global Warming: Currently and Future

• Words: 1758

Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life: The Minor Fall, the Major Lift

• Subjects: Art Musicians

Loyalty Motivation in “Best Places to Launch a Career” by Tanaka

• Words: 1370

Folklore: Contemporary Legends

• Subjects: Literature Modernist Literature
• Words: 1641

Internet and Children Under the Age of 11

• Subjects: Communications Sociology

Gun Control: A Case Against Gun Ownership

• Subjects: Criminal Law Law
• Words: 1727

Société Générale Bank: Effective Security Controls

• Subjects: Computer Security Tech & Engineering
• Words: 1619

Alexander the Great: A Pioneer of Western Civilization

Essential communication in a community crisis situation.

• Words: 1638

Legislative Bans: For and Against the Gun Control

• Subjects: Constitutional Law Law
• Words: 1624

The Retail Side of ExxonMobil

• Subjects: Business Industry

The Differences Between France and China Policy Choice

• Subjects: Government Politics & Government

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Posted on Jan 31, 2023

How Many Pages is 1,000 Words? A Thorough Account

Whether you’re writing an essay or assignment with a set word count, or you’re simply wondering how many blank sheets of paper to prepare for when you press ‘print’ on your document, determining how many pages 1,000 words is can be a helpful first step. 

Usually, essays or manuscripts you’re preparing for submission should be double-spaced and written in a serif font like Times New Roman or Georgia, with a font size of 12 points. This means that 1,000 words is about 4 pages (A4) of typed text. Assuming the text is single-spaced, as it tends to be in other contexts, 1,000 words is usually just 2 pages (A4).

Of course, there are a few more factors that go into determining how many pages 1,000 words are, and the answer will change depending on how you format your text. In this article, we’ll break down standard formatting for different types of writing, and the things you should pay attention to when it comes to increasing or decreasing your page count — without affecting your final word count.

Many factors affect page count

Assuming that you’re just putting words together on paper without including other things that significantly increase the page count — like images, graphs, or tables — 1,000 words can still result in quite different page lengths, depending on how you format your text. 

Here are a few things that will affect how many pages it takes to write 1,000 words:

Typing vs writing by hand

Though most writing these days is done digitally, there will still be times when you’re asked to submit a handwritten piece of text. And while typed words always follow specific metrics, handwritten ones come in all shapes and sizes, depending on your individual handwriting style, the pen’s nib size, how tightly spaced the text is, and whether you’re writing on ruled, blank, or graph paper.

With that said, handwritten words are typically about two times as big as words typed in a 12 pt. font on a computer. If the paper is single-spaced (as it usually is), that means you end up with 4 pages (A4) of handwritten text per 1,000 words, or 8 pages double-spaced.

An additional factor if you’re writing by hand is, of course, your personal tendency to cross things out. If you stop and start over a lot, smudging out your previous attempt, you’ll inevitably have to adjust the numbers above. With this in mind, the best way to estimate your word count will be to rely on the assumption of 4 single- or 8 double-spaced pages, then add the approximate number of words you’ve deleted.

🧮 Curious to know how many words you delete as you type? If you do your writing on the Reedsy Book Editor , you’ll see a live update of your word count and the number of words you’ve removed as you type.

But enough about handwriting. After all, we’re living in a modern era, so, let’s take a closer look at what might affect your typed page count.

Count your words and pages with the Reedsy Book Editor

The best are already on Reedsy, come meet them!

Learn how Reedsy can help you craft a beautiful book.

It goes without saying that font size affects how many words you can fit onto one page. Font size is measured in points (pt.) and a text written in small 8 point font versus a text written in humongous 42 point font will inevitably result in vastly different page counts.

Longer texts normally stay within the range of 10 to 14 points, according to most typography conventions, with 12 being the standard for most essays and manuscripts. This is a comfortable reading size for the general reader, with no squinting or excessive paper wastage necessary. If you aren’t sure what to use, 12 is your go-to — and then you’ll also know you just need 4 single-spaced pages to reach 1,000 words.

A second consideration when you’re adjusting your document settings is what type of font to use. Not all font types are made equal, and two different fonts can expand or shrink your text even when they’re set to the same font size. Here’s an example to illustrate different font widths:

These four lines were written in the same font size but with different fonts, taking up different amounts of space on the page. Rubik — a sans serif font — takes up the most space, while Garamond — a serif font — takes up the least.

Taking a brief detour into the world of typography , a serif font is a font which includes so called ‘serifs,’ which are decorative strokes that finish off the end of the letter stem. These are also known as ‘feet.’ Sans serif fonts are those fonts without ‘feet’ or ‘serifs.’ Normally, longer pieces of text should be typeset with a serif font that makes it easier to read, like Times New Roman, Georgia, Garamond, or Merriweather. Some common sans serif fonts are Arial, Verdana, Roboto, and Rubik. Each type of font will have a different width, so make sure you account for this.

And even if you write the same line in the same font, it can take up slightly different space when you apply regular, cursive, bold, or bold + cursive style. Take Times New Roman, for example:

This might not seem like that big of a difference at first glance, but if you write a whole paper in one of these fonts, the accumulated effect will add up and result in slightly different page lengths.

We know, we know. It’s quite unlikely for a longer piece of writing to be written in anything but regular font. Still, we don’t know everyone’s circumstances, and we’re trying to give a thorough account here, so bear with us.

Next, let’s take a look at the distribution of blank space in your text.

Line spacing

Authors and AP English teachers are all fond of asking readers to “read between the lines,” analyzing what is implied, but not explicitly written on the page. For typographers, the space between the lines on the page — line spacing — is equally important, and will have a marked effect on the final page count.

With most writing software , you can choose between single, 1.15, 1.5, and double spacing. What this does is shrink or expand the space above and beneath a line of text.

Essays and manuscripts are commonly written with double spacing to leave space for teachers or book editors to add their comments and corrections.

Character spacing

Line spacing is also known as “leading” in typography, but if you want to adjust the space between individual letters or characters, this is known as “kerning.” This is not really a concern when you’re writing an essay or submitting a manuscript, but rather something that comes at a later stage of typesetting, usually done by professional book designers .

If you’re using more refined typesetting programs like InDesign, you have more options to adjust and play around with the leading and kerning, which can help you condense or expand your text to avoid awkward-looking things like “ runts,” “widows,” and “orphans” before you go to print.

Of course, you can also opt for an easy-to-use typesetting program like the Reedsy Book Editor , which typesets your manuscript to industry standards, if you want to minimize the hassle. Or why not hire a professional typographer or typesetter ?

Indents and paragraph breaks

Much like line spacing, adding more space at the start of every paragraph with large indents or having a lot of paragraph breaks is also something that can make your text longer. The estimate of 4 pages per 1,000 words assumes that you’re putting one word after the other consistently, without line breaks or added spaces, so unless you’re planning on handing in a solid block of text, take it more as a guideline than as a hard fact.

First line indents are typically about half an inch, which is also the pre-setting of the tab-key on most writing software. 

Paragraph breaks (in other words, hitting the enter bar once to start a new paragraph on the next line, or twice to leave a blank row), should be set to follow the line spacing. So if you’re using double spacing for the bulk of your text, make sure to also apply that to paragraph breaks.

Using paragraph breaks is definitely a good thing since it makes your text easier to read and follow. If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you want to make sure that each paragraph contains one main argument, and that you start a new one when you’re moving on to the next. With that said, frequent paragraph breaks is bound to bring your page count beyond the 4-page mark, so make sure to account for that.

Understandably, increasing or decreasing the size of the margins (and thus increasing or decreasing the space in which your text can spread) also affects how many words you can fit on one page. 

Standard measurements for margins are 1 inch (or 2.5 cm) on each side of the paper. Unless you change them on your word processor, you can assume that the 4 single, 8 double-spaced rule still applies.

1,000 words in essays

If you’re writing an essay for your studies, chances are you’ll have to follow pretty strict formatting rules. These may vary from institution to institution and teacher to teacher, so it’s always a good idea to check the specified submission guidelines before you put all your eggs in one basket.

That said, Times New Roman in a pt. 12 font size with double spacing and 1-inch margins is recognized as standard formatting in most situations and is usually a safe bet. With these settings, here are a few checkpoints you can use to refer to when estimating how many pages you’ll end up with: 

1,000 words in books

So far, the page counts we have discussed have all referred to standard measurements for documents in the A4 paper size, but books are rarely published in this format. There’s a wide range of standard book sizes out on the market, depending on genre and whether you’re publishing a hardback or a paperback, for example, but how many pages is 1,000 words in books?

Manuscripts

For authors who are getting ready to submit their manuscripts to publishers or literary agents , the same measurements will usually apply to manuscripts as for an essay written on MS Word or any other word processor: 4 pages per every 1,000 words. 

📐Getting ready to send your manuscript out into the world? Check out this article for more insights on how to format your manuscript and a handy template.

The average word count of a novel is somewhere between 70,000 and 100,000 words (though plenty of novels fall outside of this range, like most fantasy novels, for instance), so to find out how many pages your final manuscript will be, you can use the 1,000 word calculation and simply multiply.

Print books

Of course, print books are a different matter.

Print books will usually come in standard trim sizes , but beyond that, it’s up to each publisher, typesetter, or author to decide on the interior design of the book. Many things will affect this decision-making process, like what feeling you want to communicate through the layout , or the overall economy of the project. Spacious typesetting with fewer words per page can create a sense of luxury or encourage page-turning, whereas publishers may choose a tightly typeset text with small margins to save on paper and printing costs. 

According to some estimates, one page in a book contains roughly 300 words, but one page in Bridget Jones’s Diary will probably contain a lot fewer words than one page in an affordable Wordsworth Editions publication of Anna Karenina. Assuming that one page contains 300 words, however, 1,000 words would be roughly 3.5 pages. But then again, that won’t always be the case:

Remember that the 300 words per page estimate only applies to the actual body of the text, and does not include other parts of the book , like front and back matter. You also have to consider the first page of a chapter, which usually starts two thirds down the page and will thus fit less words, not to mention the last page of the previous chapter which may just be a few lines.

How long does it take to write 1,000 words?

Now, if you’re crunching numbers and are trying to figure out whether you can meet your impending deadline, you may be wondering how long it actually takes to write 1,000 words. For the people suffering from writer’s block out there, the answer may seem like “forever,” but the comforting truth is that, with a steady pace of typing on a topic you know a reasonable amount about and a clear plan of attack, you should be able to produce a high-quality 1,000 piece in 4 hours or so. 

Of course, what makes writing beautiful is that it is a creative process undertaken by humans, and humans need time to think and search for the right phrases, might occasionally get distracted by other things, or struggle to come up with what comes next. And then, every once in a while, inspiration strikes, and 1,000 words fly by. So take these numbers with a pinch of salt and remember to enjoy the process.

There you have it: a very long answer to a question that, at first glance, seems pretty straightforward. In the end, 1,000 words can look very different in a university essay versus in a book of poetry . Hopefully, this has given you a better understanding of why that is so you can apply this logic to your own writing.

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