Written and verified by NayeemPublished Last verified
Quick answer: words per page
With Times New Roman 12pt and 1-inch margins on US Letter paper, a single-spaced page holds about 500 words and a double-spaced page about 250 words. That is the rule of thumb most teachers and editors use, and it's the starting point for this calculator.
| 250 words | 0.5 pages single · 1 page double |
|---|---|
| 500 words | 1 page single · 2 pages double |
| 1,000 words | 2 pages single · 4 pages double |
| 1,500 words | 3 pages single · 6 pages double |
| 2,000 words | 4 pages single · 8 pages double |
| 2,500 words | 5 pages single · 10 pages double |
| 3,000 words | 6 pages single · 12 pages double |
| 5,000 words | 10 pages single · 20 pages double |
What changes the page count
- Line spacing. Double spacing gives every line twice the height, so it roughly halves the words per page. 1.5 spacing sits in between at about 335.
- Font. Times New Roman and Calibri are narrow. Arial and Georgia are wider and fit around 15% fewer words; Verdana about 25% fewer. Courier New gives every letter the same width and fits about 40% fewer.
- Font size. Text shrinks in both width and height, so 11pt fits about 19% more words than 12pt, and 10pt about 44% more.
- Margins. 0.5-inch margins add about 28% more room for text; 1.5-inch margins remove about 25%.
- Paper. A4 is a little taller and narrower than US Letter and fits about 4% more with the same margins.
Common assignment formats
Your teacher's or publisher's instructions always win, but these are the usual defaults.
| MLA and APA student papers | Double spaced, 12pt, 1-inch margins — about 250 words a page |
|---|---|
| Typical college essay of 1,500 words | About 6 double-spaced pages |
| Business report or memo | Usually single spaced — about 500 words a page in 12pt |
| Manuscript for a publisher | Often double spaced, 12pt Times or Courier — 250 words a page or fewer |
How the estimate works
The calculator starts from 500 words per page and adjusts it for the space left inside the margins, the font's average letter width, the font size and the line height. The result is rounded to the nearest 5 words per page and one decimal place for pages. It doesn't account for headings, title pages, references, images or paragraph breaks, so treat it as a planning number, not an exact page count. To check a finished draft, paste it in the box above or use the word counter.
Ready to write?
Open the online notepad, set a word goal that matches your page target, and watch the count as you type. Notes autosave in your browser and export to TXT, Markdown or PDF.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single spaced or 4 pages double spaced, using Times New Roman 12pt with 1-inch margins on US Letter paper.
How many pages is 1,500 words double spaced?
About 6 pages with Times New Roman 12pt and 1-inch margins. Single spaced it is about 3 pages.
How many words are on a double-spaced page?
Roughly 250 words in a 12pt serif font with 1-inch margins. Wider fonts such as Arial or Verdana fit fewer.
Why is my real page count different?
This is an estimate. Headings, short paragraphs, dialogue, block quotes, images, a title page and long words all take extra space, so a real document often runs a little longer.
Is my text uploaded if I paste it?
No. Words are counted in your browser and the text is not saved or sent anywhere unless you choose Open in notepad, which stores it in this browser only.