If you write 4,000 words, you’ll end up with 16 pages double spaced.
Imagine this scenario. You’re a bat researcher, working to preserve an endangered species. In order to let more people know about the gray bat’s status, you’ve written an article intended for a popular science magazine. Unfortunately, the editor responded, saying that your 10,000 word article is too long. You’ve been instructed to revise the article to 4,000 words, then send it as a Microsoft Word document with double spacing. The editor also asked you to cite your sources, using MLA format. Here’s the question: How many pages long should your article be?
To know how many pages you’ll need to write, you’ll first have to select a font. We recommend using a standard font, like Arial or Times New Roman, in a 12-point font size. Most readers prefer something classic. You could always test your limits with a more exotic font, such as Calibri or Verdana; however, think carefully before selecting anything too hard to read. You want the editor to pay attention to the content of your writing, not your formatting.
Since you’ve been given a word count, you know that your article must be less than 4,000 words. Using the chart below, you can see that the same number of words may result in a different page count, depending on the line spacing you select. With the assigned word count, your article would be approximately sixteen pages double spaced. Had the editor asked for single spacing, you’d end up with eight pages. The word limit does not include the works cited page.
Of course, the content of your article may influence the page length. Let’s say you use lots of long words in your article, like “vespertilionidae” and “characteristics”. That 4,000-word essay about gray bats could end up filling more pages. By changing the type of font, deviating from standard 1-inch margins, and including graphs and charts, you may end up with a larger page count. For that reason, we can’t determine the exact number of pages you’ll need.
Here’s the good news: Most word processors, like Google Docs and Microsoft Word, contain a word counter that allows you to check the word count and character count of a document. Also, if you’re writing for a publication, it never hurts to ask for clarification. Check with the editor to see if the magazine requires a certain number of pages, font type, or character count.
Whether you’re writing a term paper, an academic essay, an article, or an essay, you’ll benefit from knowing how many words and pages you’ll need. As a good rule of thumb, use this chart to approximate the number of pages you’ll get for a particular amount of words. The chart includes estimates for both single and double spacing, using Times New Roman font or Arial font.
If you’d like to know how to convert a speech from pages to minutes, check out this article.
