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How many pages is 400 words?
400 words is about 0.8 of a single-spaced page or 1.6 double-spaced pages. It takes about 1.5 minutes to read and 2.5 to 3 minutes to say out loud.
Work it out
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 1.6
- Reading time
- 1 min 41 sec
- Speaking time
- 2 min 40 sec–3 min 5 sec
- Typing time
- 10 min
- Paragraphs
- 2–4
- Sentences
- 20–27
- Characters with spaces
- about 2,400
Write it in the word counter with a goal of at least 400 words.
Open the word counter400 words in pages
| Font, 12 pt | Single-spaced | 1.5 spacing | Double-spaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arial | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Calibri | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
| Times New Roman | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
| Courier New | 1.1 | 1.6 | 2.2 |
How long 400 words takes
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Reading non-fiction (238 words a minute) | 1 min 41 sec |
| Reading fiction (260 words a minute) | 1 min 32 sec |
| Speaking at 130 words a minute | 3 min 5 sec |
| Speaking at 150 words a minute | 2 min 40 sec |
| Typing at 40 words a minute | 10 min |
Estimates for US Letter or A4 with 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins and ordinary paragraphs; reading at 238 words a minute, speaking at 130 to 150.
What 400 words is
Three or four paragraphs, which is the upper end for a cover letter, a typical length for a short newspaper article or a company announcement, and about a three-minute talk.
For a cover letter, 400 words fills most of a page with the address and greeting; many hiring managers prefer 250 to 400. See the cover letter guide.
Tips
- Plan by paragraph: at 100 words each, four paragraphs of opening, two body points and a close.
- Read it aloud. At about three minutes it is short enough to test in one go, and clumsy sentences show up at once.
- Trim adverbs and qualifiers first if you are over: “very”, “really”, “quite”, “in order to”.
Questions and answers
How long is a 400-word speech?
About 2.5 to 3 minutes, depending on pace.
How many paragraphs is 400 words?
About 2 to 4; three or four is typical.
How many characters is 400 words?
About 2,400 characters with spaces.