- Home
- Word count guides
- 500 words
How many pages is 500 words?
500 words is one single-spaced page or two double-spaced pages (12-point font, 1-inch margins). It takes about 2 minutes to read and 3.5 to 4 minutes to say out loud.
Work it out
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 2
- Reading time
- 2 min 6 sec
- Speaking time
- 3 min 20 sec–3 min 51 sec
- Typing time
- 13 min
- Paragraphs
- 3–5
- Sentences
- 25–33
- Characters with spaces
- about 3,000
Write it in the word counter with a goal of at least 500 words.
Open the word counter500 words in pages
| Font, 12 pt | Single-spaced | 1.5 spacing | Double-spaced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arial | 1 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Calibri | 1 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Times New Roman | 0.9 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Courier New | 1.4 | 2 | 2.7 |
How long 500 words takes
| Activity | Time |
|---|---|
| Reading non-fiction (238 words a minute) | 2 min 6 sec |
| Reading fiction (260 words a minute) | 1 min 55 sec |
| Speaking at 130 words a minute | 3 min 51 sec |
| Speaking at 150 words a minute | 3 min 20 sec |
| Typing at 40 words a minute | 13 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 classic short essay
Five hundred words is the most common length for a short school essay, a newspaper column, a reflection, or a scholarship essay. It is also roughly a five-paragraph essay: an introduction and conclusion of about 75 words each and three body paragraphs of about 115.
In Times New Roman, 500 words fills a little less than a full single-spaced page (0.9), so do not be alarmed if your page looks short.
Planning 500 words
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| Introduction with your main point | 60–80 |
| Body paragraph 1 | 100–120 |
| Body paragraph 2 | 100–120 |
| Body paragraph 3 | 100–120 |
| Conclusion | 60–80 |
Budgets like this keep one section from swallowing the rest. Set a goal in the word counter and watch each paragraph as you write.
Questions and answers
Is 500 words one page?
Yes, single-spaced. Double-spaced it is two pages.
How many paragraphs is 500 words?
Three to five. A five-paragraph essay of 500 words has body paragraphs of about 100 to 120 words.
How long does it take to write a 500-word essay?
Typing it takes about 13 minutes. With planning and editing, most people need one to two hours; a familiar topic can take less.
How long is a 500-word speech?
About 3.5 to 4 minutes.