How Many Pages Is 1,000 Words?
1,000 words is usually about two pages single spaced, or four pages double spaced. That rule of thumb assumes a 12-point font and 1-inch margins, with normal paragraphs.
The real answer depends on your font, spacing and page size. To see how much difference they make, we measured it.
What we measured
We took about 2,900 words from real articles on this site and wrapped the text across a page using real font measurements. We used 12-point type, 1-inch margins and a new line for each paragraph, with no extra space between paragraphs and no headings.
| Layout | Words per page | 1,000 words takes |
|---|---|---|
| Times, single spaced, US Letter | 662 | 1.5 pages |
| Arial-style font, single spaced, US Letter | 611 | 1.6 pages |
| Times, 1.5 spacing, US Letter | 446 | 2.2 pages |
| Arial-style font, 1.5 spacing, US Letter | 412 | 2.4 pages |
| Times, double spaced, US Letter | 331 | 3.0 pages |
| Arial-style font, double spaced, US Letter | 306 | 3.3 pages |
| Times, single spaced, A4 | 696 | 1.4 pages |
| Times, double spaced, A4 | 348 | 2.9 pages |
Our numbers are lower than the usual “two pages and four pages” for a reason: this is a tightly packed best case. We used a typical single-line height of 13.8 points, and an Arial-style built-in font stood in for Arial. Word and Google Docs may differ slightly.
Real documents have titles, headings, lists, longer words and space between paragraphs. All of these push text onto more pages. That is why the rule of thumb of about 500 words per single-spaced page is still a sensible planning figure.
Quick word count to page guide
These figures use the rule of thumb of 500 words per single-spaced page and 250 per double-spaced page.
| Words | Single spaced | Double spaced |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | Half a page | 1 page |
| 500 | 1 page | 2 pages |
| 750 | 1.5 pages | 3 pages |
| 1,000 | 2 pages | 4 pages |
| 1,500 | 3 pages | 6 pages |
| 2,000 | 4 pages | 8 pages |
| 2,500 | 5 pages | 10 pages |
| 5,000 | 10 pages | 20 pages |
For more detail on other lengths, see how many pages 500 words is and how many pages 2,000 words is.
What changes the page count?
Line spacing. This has the biggest effect. In our test, moving from single to double spacing cut the words on a Times page from 662 to 331, which is exactly half.
Font. Times is narrower than Arial. In our test, Times fitted about 8% more words on each page.
Page size. A4 is taller and narrower than US Letter. It fitted about 5% more words in our Times test.
Margins and font size. Wider margins or a larger font mean fewer words per page.
Your writing. Long words, short paragraphs, headings, lists, tables and images all take up more space.
How many words are on a page?
For planning, use these figures:
- Single spaced: about 500 words, and up to around 650 for dense text with no headings.
- 1.5 spacing: about 350 to 450 words.
- Double spaced: about 250 to 330 words.
If an assignment gives you a page count, check whether it also sets a font, spacing and margins. If it doesn’t, ask. Those settings can change the amount you need to write by a large margin.
How long does 1,000 words take?
To read: about four minutes at 238 words per minute, the average for silent reading of English non-fiction found in a 2019 review of reading studies. Our word counter uses that figure. See average reading speed for more.
To speak: about seven minutes at a steady 140 words per minute. Your own pace may differ, so time yourself reading a section aloud. For speech planning, see how many words a 5 minute speech needs.
To write: this varies too much to give a useful number. It depends on your topic, your research and how much editing you do.
Should you write to a page count or a word count?
Use a word count if you have the choice. A word count stays the same in any font or layout, while a page count can be stretched with spacing and margins. That’s why many teachers, editors and publishers prefer it.
If you are writing for the web, there are no pages at all. Read our guide to how many words a blog post should be instead.
How to check your length
- Paste your text into the free word counter to see your exact word count, reading time and speaking time. If you write in Google Docs, you can also use its built-in word count.
- Divide your word count by 500 for single spaced, or 250 for double spaced, to estimate your pages.
- For an exact answer, open the document with your final font, spacing and margins, and look at the page number.
The last step matters most. Estimates are good for planning, but only your finished document shows the true page count.
Quick answers
- 1,000 words, single spaced: about 2 pages.
- 1,000 words, double spaced: about 4 pages.
- Densely packed text: as few as 1.5 pages single spaced, or 3 double spaced.
- Reading time: about 4 minutes.
- Speaking time: about 7 minutes.