Essay word counter
Paste only the parts your assignment counts. Need more (speaking time, bigger editor)? Open the full Word Counter.
Paste your essay into the box above and the word count updates as you type, along with characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time. Counting happens in your browser, so the essay is not uploaded or saved.
Essay limits are specific, and the number in the corner of a document is not always the number the marker uses. Some assignments count the title and the bibliography, some do not, and some want words rather than characters. Paste the part that counts into the word counter and read the word total, not the character total, unless the brief says characters.
The word counter also shows characters, sentences, and a reading-time estimate. Use the word figure for a 500-word or 1,500-word essay. If you are over, cut in the draft and paste again. The tool does not rewrite the essay for you. It counts what you paste, in the browser, so the assignment text is not uploaded as a file.
Quotations and tables still count on most rubrics unless the sheet says otherwise. Do not paste the rubric itself or the lecturer's question into the same box or you will count their words as yours. When the total matches the brief, copy from your draft, not from an old paste you already edited.
What usually counts toward an essay word limit
Rules differ between schools, courses and even assignments, so the brief always wins. These are the common conventions:
- The main text, including in-text citations and quotations, is almost always counted.
- The title, reference list or bibliography and appendices are often left out, but not everywhere. Leave them out of the paste if your brief excludes them.
- Footnotes vary: some courses count them, some do not.
- Tables and figure captions are sometimes excluded. If in doubt, count them, so you do not go over.
- Some markers allow a small margin over the limit and some apply a penalty for any overrun. Check before you rely on a margin.
Essay length in pages
With a 12-point font and standard margins, a single-spaced page holds about 500 words and a double-spaced page about 250 to 300. Font, spacing and headings change this, so use the word count, not the page count, when the limit is in words.
- 250 words: about half a page single-spaced, or 1 page double-spaced.
- 500 words: about 1 page single-spaced, or 2 pages double-spaced.
- 1,000 words: about 2 pages single-spaced, or 4 pages double-spaced.
- 1,500 words: about 3 pages single-spaced, or 5 to 6 pages double-spaced.
- 2,000 words: about 4 pages single-spaced, or 7 to 8 pages double-spaced.
Common essay and application limits
- Common App personal essay (US college applications): up to 650 words.
- UCAS personal statement (UK university applications): measured in characters, 4,000 including spaces. Use the characters figure in the box above, and check UCAS's current guidance for the year you apply.
- Scholarship and supplemental essays: often 150 to 500 words, set by each school or fund.
- Short-answer questions on forms: often given in characters rather than words. Our characters-to-words chart helps you plan.
Tips when you are over or under
- Over the limit: cut repeated points and long introductions first, then trim filler phrases such as "it is important to note that".
- Under the limit: add evidence or an example to your weakest paragraph rather than padding sentences.
- Check paragraph balance: most essay body paragraphs run about 100 to 200 words. The paragraph count in the box shows how your essay is split if you leave a blank line between paragraphs.
- Paste again after each edit, from your latest draft, so the number matches what you submit.
Check an essay length
- Copy only the sections your assignment includes in the count.
- Paste them into the box at the top of this page.
- Read the words figure. Edit your draft and paste again if you are over or short.
Related tools and guides
FAQ
- Does the essay word counter store my essay?
- No. The count runs in your browser on the text you paste. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
- Are references included in the word count?
- Only if you paste them. Many assignments exclude the reference list, but follow your brief and leave them out of the paste if they do not count.
- How does it count words?
- A word is anything between spaces or line breaks, the same rule most word processors use. Hyphenated words like well-known count as one word.
- How many pages is a 1,000-word essay?
- About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced with a 12-point font.
- How long is the Common App essay?
- Up to 650 words.
- Why is my count different from Word or Google Docs?
- Small differences come from how each tool treats dashes, slashes, numbers and pasted symbols. If you are close to a hard limit, leave a few words of room.