How many pages is 5,000 words?

If you write 5,000 words, you’ll end up with 20 pages double spaced.

Imagine this scenario. You’re writing a self-help book. Your editor tells you that your third chapter needs some work. You’ll need to revise that chapter so that it contains additional information, then send him the revisions as a Microsoft Word document with double spacing. The editor also asks you to cite your sources, using MLA format. Here’s the question: How many pages do you need to add to Chapter Three?

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 additional writing must contain at least 5,000 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 new section would be approximately twenty pages double spaced. Had the editor asked for single spacing, you’d end up with ten 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 “organizational” and “entrepreneurship”. Those 5,000-words of advice 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 to add to Chapter Three.

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 publication, it never hurts to ask for clarification. Check with the editor to see if you should aim for a certain number of pages or character count.

Whether you’re writing a term paper, an academic essay, an article, or a book, 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.