Text Size Calculator
Enter a word count, the average word length, the encoding, font size and line spacing. The calculator tells you how many pages it fills, how many characters and bytes it uses and how long it takes to read or say.
- Words to pages
- Characters and bytes
- Reading and speaking time
English words average about 4.7 letters. Technical writing runs longer, at 5 to 6.
The same words can be two pages or five, depending on how they are set. About 500 words fit on a single-spaced A4 page in 12 point type. Double spacing halves that. Characters and bytes matter for forms, text messages and databases, and reading time helps you plan blog posts and speeches.
Words to pages chart
12 pt on A4. Search for a word count.
| Words | Single spaced | Double spaced | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 min |
| 500 | 1 | 2 | 2 min |
| 1000 | 2 | 4 | 4 min |
| 1500 | 3 | 6 | 6 min |
| 2000 | 4 | 8 | 8 min |
| 3000 | 6 | 12 | 13 min |
| 5000 | 10 | 20 | 21 min |
| 10000 | 20 | 40 | 42 min |
Reading time at 238 words per minute, the average for adults reading non-fiction.
Word count and pages
12 pt on A4. Slide the word count.
Essays are often set at double spacing for marking. The same 2,000 words fill four pages single-spaced and eight double.
How text size is worked out
From words. Step through it.
Count words
From your editor.
UTF-8 uses 1 byte for English letters, 2 for most accented letters and 3 for Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters.
Reading, speaking or skimming
Speed matters. Compare them.
Presentations and podcasts.
Silent reading of articles and books.
Scanning for key points.
A 10-minute talk is about 1,400 words. Practise aloud to check your own pace.
Writing to a limit
Fit the brief. Tick each item.
Tick each item as you go.
Character limits usually count spaces. Check whether a form or platform counts bytes, as emoji can use 4 bytes each.
What you get
Text in every measure. Each tile explains one result.
On A4.
With and without spaces.
Plain text file size.
At 238 wpm.
At 140 wpm.
Tweets allow 280 characters and a standard SMS 160, so the counts show how many each text would take.
Frequently Asked Questions
No question matches that search.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced, or 4 double-spaced, in 12 pt.
How many words is one page?
About 500 single-spaced, 250 double-spaced.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4 minutes.
How long is a 1,000 word speech?
About 7 minutes.
How many characters is 500 words?
About 2,850 with spaces.
How many bytes is a character?
1 byte for English in UTF-8, up to 4 for emoji.
Does font affect page count?
Yes. Wider fonts like Arial take about 10% more pages than Times.
Know how big your text is
Enter your word count and settings to see pages, characters, bytes and timing. It takes the guesswork out of essays, speeches, posts and forms.
More size calculators
Each one has its own calculator, worked examples and answers to common questions.