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How many words are in a paragraph?
An essay paragraph is usually 100 to 200 words, with about 150 typical: five to eight sentences. On the web and in newspapers, paragraphs are much shorter, often one to three sentences.
Work it out
Line spacing
pages, single-spaced, Arial 12 pt, about 500 words a page
- Handwritten pages
- 0.6
- Reading time
- 38 sec
- Speaking time
- 1 min–1 min 9 sec
- Typing time
- 3 min 45 sec
- Paragraphs
- 1–2
- Sentences
- 8–10
- Characters with spaces
- about 900
Write it in the word counter with a goal of at least 150 words.
Open the word counterParagraphs in a text
| Length | 100 words each | 150 words each | 200 words each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 words | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 500 words | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 1,000 words | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| 1,500 words | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| 2,000 words | 20 | 13 | 10 |
| 5,000 words | 50 | 33 | 25 |
Paragraph length by kind of writing
| Kind of writing | Typical paragraph |
|---|---|
| Academic essay | 100–200 words, 5–8 sentences |
| Report or business document | 60–120 words |
| Web page or blog | 40–80 words, 2–4 sentences |
| Newspaper | 1–3 sentences |
| Fiction | varies; dialogue starts a new paragraph for each speaker |
When to start a new paragraph
- A new idea or step in the argument.
- A new speaker in dialogue.
- A change of time or place in a story.
- For breathing room: if a paragraph fills most of a screen on a phone, split it where the idea turns.
Questions and answers
How many sentences are in a paragraph?
In an essay, usually five to eight. There is no rule; a single-sentence paragraph can be effective for emphasis.
How many paragraphs is 500 words?
About three to five. See 500 words.
How many paragraphs is 1,000 words?
About five to ten. See 1,000 words.