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How many pages is 800 words?

800 words is about 1.6 single-spaced pages or 3.2 double-spaced pages. It takes about 3.5 minutes to read and 5.5 to 6 minutes to say out loud.

Work it out

Line spacing
1.6

pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page

Handwritten pages
3.2
Reading time
3 min 22 sec
Speaking time
5 min 20 sec–6 min 9 sec
Typing time
20 min
Paragraphs
4–8
Sentences
40–53
Characters with spaces
about 4,800

Write it in the word counter with a goal of at least 800 words.

Open the word counter

800 words in pages

Font, 12 ptSingle-spaced1.5 spacingDouble-spaced
Arial1.62.43.2
Calibri1.62.43.1
Times New Roman1.52.22.9
Courier New2.23.24.3

How long 800 words takes

ActivityTime
Reading non-fiction (238 words a minute)3 min 22 sec
Reading fiction (260 words a minute)3 min 5 sec
Speaking at 130 words a minute6 min 9 sec
Speaking at 150 words a minute5 min 20 sec
Typing at 40 words a minute20 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 800 words is

The upper end of most op-ed limits, a full magazine column, a substantial blog post on one question, or a speech of five to six minutes. A statement of purpose for a graduate program often lands here too.

Tips for hitting 800 exactly

  • Write long, then cut. It is easier to trim a 1,000-word draft to 800 than to stretch 600.
  • Cut whole sentences before words. Ask of each sentence: would anyone miss it?
  • Watch the limit live. Set a limit of 800 in the word counter and keep editing until the bar sits just under it.

Questions and answers

How long is an 800-word speech?

About 5.5 to 6 minutes.

How many paragraphs is 800 words?

About 4 to 8 at essay length; on the web, eight to twelve short ones.

How many characters is 800 words?

About 4,800 characters including spaces.