How to use the words to pages converter
- Choose Words to pages to see how many pages a word count fills, or Pages to words to see how many words a page limit allows.
- Enter the number of words or pages.
- Pick a page style: single spaced, 1.5 spaced or double spaced. Or choose your own words per page if you know it from your document.
- Read the page count, the number of whole pages when rounded up, and the table that compares all three styles.
Formula
Pages = words / words per page
Words = pages x words per page
Single spaced: about 500 words per page
Double spaced: about 250 words per page; 1.5 spaced: about 333 words per page
The 500 and 250 figures are widely used rules of thumb for a standard document with a 12 point font and 1 inch margins. The 1.5 spacing figure is 500 divided by 1.5. They are estimates, not measurements of your file.
Worked example
A 1,000 word essay double spaced is 1,000 / 250 = 4 pages. Single spaced it is 1,000 / 500 = 2 pages, and at 1.5 spacing it is 1,000 / 333.3 = 3 pages.
A 1,100 word paper double spaced is 4.4 pages, which means 5 printed pages, with the last one partly filled.
Going the other way, a 10 page limit double spaced allows about 2,500 words.
Why page counts differ from the rule of thumb
A word count describes the text, but a page count depends on how the text is laid out. Larger fonts, wider margins, headings, bullet lists, block quotes, tables and images all take room without adding words.
Typefaces differ too. Times New Roman 12 point fits more words than a wide font at the same size, and an 11 point font fits more again. If a teacher or editor gives a page limit, ask which font, size and margins they expect.
Getting an exact page count
For anything that has to fit a limit, check the real document. A word processor shows the true number of pages and updates as you edit.
- Paste your text into a document with the required font, spacing and margins and read the page count.
- Divide your word count by the pages it fills to get your own words per page, then enter it as a custom value here.
- Leave room for a title, headings and references, since they usually count toward the page total.
- Use the word counter to get an exact word count for your text first.
Assumptions and limits
- Page counts are based on 500 words for a single spaced page and 250 for a double spaced page unless you enter your own figure.
- Pages are standard US Letter size with 1 inch margins and a 12 point font, and the text is plain paragraphs with no images or tables.
- Results with decimals are shown to two places. The rounded up figure counts a partly filled page as a whole page.
- The tool does not read your document, and the page count of the real file can differ.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single spaced or 4 pages double spaced, using 500 and 250 words per page. At 1.5 line spacing it is about 3 pages. Your actual count depends on font, margins and headings.
How many words is a 5 page paper?
About 1,250 words double spaced or 2,500 words single spaced, using the usual 250 and 500 words per page. Subtract room for a title page and references if those count toward the five pages.
Why does a double spaced page hold half as many words?
Double spacing puts a blank line between every line of text, so the same page holds about half as many lines. That is why 250 words per double spaced page is half of the 500 for single spacing.
Does font size change the number of words per page?
Yes. A smaller font fits more words on each line and more lines on the page. If your document uses a font other than 12 point, count your own words per page and enter it with the custom option.