Have you ever heard your teacher say, "Essays are to be 1,000 words or more," and wondered how many pages is 1,000 words? Well, we're here to break it down for you, as there are several factors involved, such as spacing, font size, and font type! Let's dive right into this game of words and numbers.
The Numbers
The most common format required for essays is double-spaced, font type Times New Roman, and font size 12pt. With that in mind, 1,000 words comes in at four pages.
If you're asked to submit a paper with single spacing, you will be writing two-and-a-half pages. If for some reason, you're using 1.5 spacing, it would be around three pages.
An easy way to think of it is that the standard, double-spaced page contains approximately 250 words. This makes the math even faster and perfectly lines up 1,000 words and four pages.
The Fonts
Different fonts and different font sizes will affect the number of pages you write. This is one reason why a teacher may give an assignment length in words instead of pages - page length can be faked by changing the margins and fonts.
So stick to the standard fonts. These include Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, and Verdana. Many teachers will specify this, too, so be sure to check!
Along with these standard formats, you're likely to be assigned a standard font size, too. Get ready to see 12pt written somewhere in your teacher's instructions.
Can you spot the difference between Times New Roman and Liberation Serif below? It's slight, but you can be sure a top-notch teacher can so make sure you follow the assignment instructions to the letter. If you have not been set a font, either of these fonts would produce 1,000 words in four pages, as their characters are a similar width and height and spacing is the same.
By Blythwood - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
Now take a look at the difference between these two fonts:
By Blythwood - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
This is a big difference. The wider characters of Stix means the same amount of words will take up more lines than with Times New Roman. A sans serif font such as Courier, with very wide letters and spacing, could change your page count even more - taking at least four-and-a-half pages for 1,000 words.
The Margins
Once you've set your font to the required font and size - most commonly Times New Roman and font size to 12 - take a quick look at your margins.
Again, going with the standard requirements, you're going to want to set your margins at 1 inch all around.
Many of the most commonly used style guides, including MLA and APA, follow the 1-inch rule.
If you're thinking you can pull a fast one on your teacher and extend the margins, think twice! Your teacher is going to look at your margins first. Anyway, once you do things right, 1-inch margins make for a clear and uniform finished product.
Bonus Numbers
This is pretty interesting, right? While we're at it, let's take a look at some of the other typical essay word counts and see how many pages they break down to:
- 500 words: Two pages, double-spaced; one page, single-spaced
- 1,500 words: Six pages, double-spaced; three pages, single-spaced
- 2,000 words: Eight pages, double-spaced; four pages, single-spaced
- 2,500 words: 10 pages, double-spaced; five pages, single-spaced
- 3,000 words: 12 pages, double-spaced; six pages, single-spaced
- 4,000 words: 16 pages, double-spaced; eight pages, single-spaced
- 5,000 words: 20 pages, double-spaced; 10 pages, single-spaced
Whew, 20 pages, huh? That's quite the thesis! The best way to think of it is 250 words equals one page. That doesn't sound so bad.
Writing the Essay
Now you're ready to get writing, start by clicking on Format/Paragraph/Line Spacing Double in Microsoft Word. Choose your font and size (most likely Times New Roman and 12 point). Ensure that your margins all around are set to 1 inch. Get yourself a drink and a snack, and give those fingers a workout!
We're firm believers in a nice, clean desk space, a silenced phone, and all social media feeds closed. Writing habits are similar to healthy study habits. Be sure to read 10 Best Ways to Study when you're ready to knock your next project or test out of the park, too!
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