The short answer
Plan on about 500 words for a single-spaced page and about 250 for a double-spaced page. That assumes a standard letter or A4 page, 1-inch margins and a 12-point font like Times New Roman.
Those two numbers cover most school and office writing. A 5-page double-spaced paper is about 1,250 words. A 2-page single-spaced cover letter would be about 1,000 words, which is far too long, and that's a useful thing to notice before you start writing.
Formula notes
Double-spaced pages = words / 250Single-spaced pages = words / 500
Why the number moves
Words per page is an average, and layout pushes it around. Font choice is the biggest lever. APA style allows 11-point Calibri or Arial and 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode as well as 12-point Times New Roman, and those fonts fit different amounts of text on a line.
Margins matter next. Moving from 1-inch to 1.25-inch side margins makes every line shorter. Then there's the writing itself. Dialogue, bullet lists and short paragraphs leave white space at the ends of lines, so a page of fiction with lots of back-and-forth can hold far fewer words than a dense essay page.
- Font and size: wider fonts mean fewer words per line
- Margins: wider margins mean fewer words per page
- Line spacing: double spacing roughly halves the count
- Paragraph style: short paragraphs and dialogue waste space
- Extras: headings, block quotes, tables and images take room
Converting common word limits to pages
Use these as rough guides at 250 and 500 words per page. They help you picture a length before you start. The final check should always be a word count, because that's usually what the teacher, editor or application form actually limits.
- 300 words: 1.2 pages double-spaced, 0.6 single-spaced
- 500 words: 2 pages double-spaced, 1 single-spaced
- 750 words: 3 pages double-spaced, 1.5 single-spaced
- 1,000 words: 4 pages double-spaced, 2 single-spaced
- 1,500 words: 6 pages double-spaced, 3 single-spaced
- 2,000 words: 8 pages double-spaced, 4 single-spaced
- 3,000 words: 12 pages double-spaced, 6 single-spaced
Going the other way: pages to words
When an assignment says "3 to 5 pages" with no word count, multiply by 250 if it wants double spacing. That gives you 750 to 1,250 words. If the instructions say single-spaced, use 500 and you get 1,500 to 2,500 words.
Check the formatting rules first. MLA asks for double-spaced text, 1-inch margins and a 12-point legible font. APA asks for double spacing and 1-inch margins on letter paper. Follow those and the 250-word average holds up well.
Mistakes that throw off page counts
The most common one is counting the title page, abstract or reference list as part of the body. Most page requirements mean the main text only, so ask if it isn't clear.
The second is padding. Bumping the font to 12.5 points or widening the margins is easy to spot and adds nothing to the paper. Writing to a word target is safer than formatting to a page target.
Third, people forget that 250 words per page is an average. A heading-heavy report might fit 200 words on a double-spaced page. Paste your draft into our word counter to see the words, estimated pages and reading time together, then print-preview the real document.
Why word limits beat page limits
A page limit depends on settings you control, so two students can turn in very different amounts of writing on the same number of pages. A word limit doesn't care about fonts or margins, so it measures the writing itself.
If you're given both, you need to meet both. Write to the word count first, then format to the required style and check that the page count still fits. If it runs long, trim words rather than shrinking the font.
How long does a page take to read?
Brysbaert's 2019 review put adult silent reading of English nonfiction at 238 words per minute. At that pace, a single-spaced page of about 500 words takes just over 2 minutes to read, and a double-spaced page of about 250 words takes about 1 minute.
Reading aloud is slower, around 183 words per minute in the same review, so a single-spaced page read out loud takes closer to 2 minutes 44 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is 2 pages double spaced?
About 500 words, at roughly 250 words per double-spaced page with a 12-point font and 1-inch margins.
How many words is a single-spaced page in Arial?
Arial sets wider than Times New Roman at the same size, so expect a little under the 500-word average at 12 points. At 11 points, the size APA accepts for Arial, you'll fit more.
How many pages is a 500-word essay?
About 2 pages double-spaced or 1 page single-spaced. A title block or heading at the top will push it a few lines onto the next page.
Does a page count include the references?
Usually not. Most instructors mean the body text, and the title page and reference list come on top. When the instructions don't say, ask before you trim or pad.
How many words fit on a handwritten page?
It varies with handwriting size, ruling and margins, so there's no reliable average. Count the words on one page of your own writing and use that as your rate.
References
These sources support the method or guidance used for Word Counter. Verify time-sensitive rules at the source.
Try the calculator
Open Word Counter, enter your scenario, and compare its supporting rows with this guide's method and checks.