How Many Words Are on a Page?

Words per page for documents, essays and books, and how to convert a word count into pages.

Updated November 6, 2026 by the SpeedReadTest team

A page holds about 500 words single-spaced or 250 words double-spaced, in 12-point type with 1-inch margins. A typical paperback page holds about 250 to 300 words.

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Words Per Page by Type

Approximate words per page for different kinds of page
Type of page	Words per page
Large-print or children’s book	About 200
Double-spaced document	About 250
Typical paperback	About 300
Textbook or academic book	About 450
Single-spaced document	About 500

These are rules of thumb. The real number depends on the font, type size, margins and how much dialogue or how many headings the page has. A page of short dialogue can hold half as many words as a page of solid text. To get an exact figure for a book, count the words on three full pages and take the average.

Word Count to Pages Chart

Number of pages for common word counts
Words	Single-spaced	Double-spaced
250	0.5	1
500	1	2
1,000	2	4
1,500	3	6
2,000	4	8
3,000	6	12
5,000	10	20
10,000	20	40

What Changes the Number of Words on a Page

Line spacing: double spacing halves the words on a page.
Font and size: a wide font or a larger size fits fewer words.
Margins and page size: a small paperback holds far fewer words than a letter-size sheet.
Layout: dialogue, headings and images all leave more white space.

Once you know the word count, you can see how long it takes to read, for example 100 pages or 200 pages, or how long it takes to say.

Frequently Asked Questions