A couple of centuries ago, writers received their salaries at a fixed rate for a line or a word. It took them hours to count how much they had written. To facilitate the counting process, teachers used to give assignments in the number of pages, not words.
Nowadays, any text editing software counts the words, characters, and lines in a couple of clicks. But some teachers keep telling you to write “a two-page essay.” But the font size and style can make such a difference that this method proves to be imprecise. For this reason, people use word count. This Custom Writing article will help you puzzle out the relation between the number of pages and the number of words in a text.
1. 😑 Average Words per Page
There is no definite answer to the question of how many words it takes to write one page. It depends on the margins, font, and spacing. For instance, if you use 1-inch margins, Times New Roman font, size 12, and zero or 6 spacing between the paragraphs, you will have 500 words on a single-spaced page and about 250 words double spaced.
So, in practice, the average number of words per page can be different. The word count on each of your pages usually depends upon several formatting parameters:
- the font you use (size and type);
- margins;
- spacing;
- number of paragraphs;
- length of words.
Your teachers will frequently ask you to use a limited number of words for each of your papers. Furthermore, they can even penalize you for not meeting these requirements. Some students can complain that this restriction limits the thoughts they can include in their papers. However, a more or less strict word count helps them better organize their papers and plan their work.
2. ➕ Words per Page: How to Count
Such text editors as MS Word and OpenOffice have the word count function. The total number of words in a document is usually given on the status bar in the lower-left corner of the program window. It is handy when you have an assignment to write an exact quantity of words. In the same place, you can as well check the total number of pages in the document.
If you need to count the words in a paragraph or selection, do the following.
- Select the necessary part of the text.
- Look at the status bar. It will show how many words the selection contains and the total word count of the document.
- If your selections are not next to each other, select the first one, then hold CTRL, and select the other necessary passages. The status bar will show the quantity accordingly.
- If you need to calculate the words in endnotes, footnotes, and text boxes in the total word count, go to the Review tab (Proofing group). Click Word Count. In the dialog box, select the textboxes, footnotes, and endnotes check box.
Google Docs also has a similar function. In the app, tap More ⋮ then select Word Count. Alternatively, press CTRL + Shift + C.
Mind that the results in Google Docs and MS Office may differ. If you need a precise number, you can use the Word Counter service.
3. 🕵️♂️ Words per Page: How to Control
4. ✏️ Words per Page: FAQ
500 words make up one page single-spaced and two page double-spaced. A more precise page number depends on the font size and style. But if you use Times New Roman or Arial, 12 pt, the results will be similar to those given above.
A 600-word text equals about 1.2 single-spaced pages or 2.4 double-spaced pages. These figures are accurate when you use standard margins (1″) and 12-point font size. In general, it is commonly accepted to view 600 words as 1⅓ page.
If you use Times New Roman, 1000 words make up about four pages double-spaced. 1000 words in Courier font (or any other sans serif font) with wide spacing and 12 pt size makes up 4.5 pages. In Calibri font, you will get 3.5 pages. Comic Sans MS is not used for academic papers, but 1000 words in this font result in 4.7 pages.
A 2000-word assignment is the most typical task a student may receive. For the standard fonts (Arial or Times New Roman), 12 pt, this word count equals four standard pages single spaced with 1″ margins. Accordingly, 2000 words make up eight pages double spaced.
🔗 References
- How Many Pages is 1,000 Words? | Your Dictionary
- Show word count – Office Support – Microsoft Support
- Count the words in a document – Computer – Docs Editors Help
- 10 Ways to Reduce the Word Count of Your Research Paper | Wiley
- Word limit in academic research – ResearchGate
- Manuscript Guidelines Journals – Instructions for Authors
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