Last verified: September 24, 2026.
How many pages is 1000 words? Double spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1 inch margins, it comes to 4 pages. Single spaced, the same 1,000 words fill 2 pages. Those are the settings almost every US assignment asks for, which is why 250 words per double-spaced page has become the standard rule of thumb.
The rest of this guide shows where that number comes from, how much each font changes it, and what MLA, APA and Chicago actually require. You can run your own count in our words to pages converter, which runs the same math for any font, size and spacing.
How many pages is 1000 words, and other common lengths
All figures use 12 pt Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, US Letter paper.
| Words | Single spaced | Double spaced |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 1 page | 2 pages |
| 750 | 1.5 pages | 3 pages |
| 1,000 | 2 pages | 4 pages |
| 1,500 | 3 pages | 6 pages |
| 2,000 | 4 pages | 8 pages |
| 2,500 | 5 pages | 10 pages |
| 3,000 | 6 pages | 12 pages |
| 5,000 | 10 pages | 20 pages |
| 10,000 | 20 pages | 40 pages |
Why a double-spaced page holds about 250 words
Most guides state the number and move on, so here's the arithmetic behind every answer to how many pages is 1000 words.
US Letter paper is 11 inches tall. Take an inch off the top and an inch off the bottom and you have 9 inches of text. At 12 pt, double-spaced lines sit about 24 points apart, which is a third of an inch, so a page fits roughly 23 to 25 lines. A line of 12 pt Times New Roman across 6.5 inches of text holds around 10 to 12 words. Multiply the two and you land between 230 and 300 words, with 250 sitting comfortably in the middle.
Libraries use the same figure. Howard Community College's library FAQ tells students that with 1 inch margins and 12 point Times New Roman, a page holds approximately 500 words single spaced and 250 double spaced, and that a 3 to 4 page paper works out at 750 to 1,000 words.
The font changes the answer more than you think
Swap the font and the answer to how many pages is 1000 words moves by a page or more. Wide letterforms like Verdana eat space; narrow ones like Calibri fit more on each line. These are the words that fit on one page at 12 pt with 1 inch margins.
| Font (12 pt) | Single spaced | Double spaced | 1,000 words, double spaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calibri | 540 words | 270 words | 3.7 pages |
| Times New Roman | 500 words | 250 words | 4 pages |
| Arial | 460 words | 230 words | 4.3 pages |
| Georgia | 450 words | 225 words | 4.4 pages |
| Verdana | 410 words | 205 words | 4.9 pages |
| Courier New | 300 words | 150 words | 6.7 pages |
Courier New is the outlier because it's monospaced: every character takes the same width, so the same essay runs about two thirds longer than it would in Times New Roman. Some creative writing programs still ask for it, which catches people out.
Font size moves the count too. Dropping from 12 pt to 11 pt fits about 19% more words on a page, since text scales in two dimensions.
What your style guide actually requires
Few guides mention this, yet it's the reason the 250-word page exists. The three styles US students use all specify the same page setup.
| Style | Font | Spacing | Margins |
|---|---|---|---|
| MLA | Legible 12 pt, commonly Times New Roman | Double | 1 inch |
| APA 7 | 12 pt Times New Roman, 11 pt Calibri, 11 pt Arial, 11 pt Georgia or 10 pt Lucida Sans Unicode | Double | 1 inch |
| Chicago | No smaller than 10 pt, 12 pt preferred | Double, except block quotes and notes | At least 1 inch |
Purdue OWL's guides set out each one: MLA asks for a legible 12 pt font, double spacing and 1 inch margins; APA 7 accepts several fonts at set sizes on 8.5 by 11 inch paper; and Chicago sets a 10 pt floor and keeps block quotations single spaced.
That Chicago exception matters for a long paper. A page of block quotes holds twice the words of a page of body text, so a quote-heavy essay runs shorter than the estimate.
Is it 250 words a page or 300?
Both numbers circulate, which is why how many pages is 1000 words gets two different answers depending on who you ask. Writing centers teach 250 because that's what a double-spaced student paper produces. Publishing uses a wider band: the Chicago Manual of Style's editors put the industry guideline at 250 to 300 words per double-spaced page for manuscript submissions.
The gap is font and line spacing. At exactly 12 pt with 24 pt leading you get 250. Tighten the leading slightly or use a narrower typeface and 275 to 300 is realistic. If a word count is a hard requirement, count words. If a page count is the requirement, format first and check the pages afterwards.
What pushes your real page count off the estimate
- Headings and subheadings. Each one takes a line and leaves white space around it.
- Block quotations. In Chicago they're single spaced, so they compress the page.
- The works cited or reference list. It's usually a page or two, and it may or may not count toward the requirement.
- Tables and figures. A half-page table replaces about 125 words of text.
- A title page. MLA rarely uses one; APA papers normally do.
These are the reasons how many pages is 1000 words is an estimate rather than a promise. Ask your instructor what counts before you pad the body to hit a number. If the deadline is the real problem rather than the length, our piece on focused work over busywork is about getting the draft finished. Howard Community College's librarians point out that assignments are often set in words precisely because formatting choices move the page count around.
How to check your own document
- Confirm the required font, size, spacing and margins from your brief or style guide, since they decide how many pages is 1000 words in your document.
- Apply them in your document before you judge the length. Word and Google Docs both default to settings that are not MLA or APA.
- Read your word count from the status bar, or paste the text into our words to pages converter, which counts the words and converts them in one step.
- Print to PDF to see the true page breaks, since the screen view can differ.
If you are formatting on a school Chromebook, our comparison of the difference between a laptop and a Chromebook covers which one handles Word documents without surprises.
If you write for the web rather than for class, our other free tools cover the same kind of quick conversions, including a binary code translator for computing coursework.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is 1000 words double spaced?
Four pages in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1 inch margins. In 11 pt Calibri it's closer to 3.7 pages, and in Courier New it stretches to about 6.7.
How many pages is 500 words?
One page single spaced, two pages double spaced, at 12 pt with 1 inch margins. That's the length of a short reflection or a college application response.
How many pages is 1500 words?
Three pages single spaced and six double spaced. Most 1,500-word assignments expect the double-spaced version.
How many pages is 2000 words?
Four pages single spaced and eight double spaced, before any title page or reference list.
How many pages is 1000 words in Google Docs?
Google Docs opens with 11 pt Arial and 1 inch margins. Set it to 12 pt Times New Roman and double spacing to match the standard estimate of 4 pages, or leave the defaults and expect a shorter document.
How many words is a page?
About 500 single spaced and 250 double spaced with standard academic formatting. Publishers work with a slightly wider range of 250 to 300 words per double-spaced manuscript page.
