- Home
- Word count guides
- 4,000 words
How many pages is 4,000 words?
4,000 words is 8 pages single-spaced or 16 pages double-spaced. It takes about 17 minutes to read and 27 to 31 minutes to say out loud.
Work it out
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 16
- Reading time
- 17 min
- Speaking time
- 27 min–31 min
- Typing time
- 1 hr 40 min
- Paragraphs
- 20–40
- Sentences
- 200–267
- Characters with spaces
- about 24,000
Write it in the word counter with a goal of at least 4,000 words.
Open the word counter4,000 words in pages
| Font, 12 pt | Single-spaced | 1.5 spacing | Double-spaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arial | 8 | 12 | 16 |
| Calibri | 7.8 | 11.8 | 15.7 |
| Times New Roman | 7.3 | 10.9 | 14.5 |
| Courier New | 10.8 | 16.2 | 21.6 |
How long 4,000 words takes
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Reading non-fiction (238 words a minute) | 17 min |
| Reading fiction (260 words a minute) | 15 min |
| Speaking at 130 words a minute | 31 min |
| Speaking at 150 words a minute | 27 min |
| Typing at 40 words a minute | 1 hr 40 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.
The IB Extended Essay and other 4,000-word work
Four thousand words is the upper limit of the International Baccalaureate Extended Essay, an independent research paper. It is also a common length for a dissertation chapter, a long report, and a long-form magazine piece.
For the Extended Essay, the IB counts the introduction, main body, conclusion and quotations; the title page, contents, references, footnotes used for citations, and appendices are not counted. Check the current guide with your coordinator, since the rules are revised from time to time.
Planning a 4,000-word paper
- Introduction: about 400 words.
- Body: three to five sections of 600 to 900 words.
- Conclusion: about 400 words.
- Leave a margin. Aim to finish around 3,800 so the last edit has room.
Questions and answers
How many pages is 4,000 words double-spaced?
About 16 pages in Arial 12, or 14.5 in Times New Roman.
What is the word limit for the IB Extended Essay?
4,000 words at most. Examiners are told not to read beyond the limit, so anything over it does not count toward the mark.
How long does it take to read 4,000 words?
About 17 minutes.