How Long Is 800 Words

If you write 800 words, you'll end up with 3 and 1/5 pages double spaced.

Imagine this scenario. You're writing an article for a local magazine. You need to complete an 800-word story on the new community pool. Your editor asked you to send in a Microsoft Word document with double spacing. You'll need to submit your article in a week. Here's the question: How many pages should you write each day in order to meet your deadline?

To know how many pages you'll need in total, you'll first have to select a font. We recommend using Arial font or Times New Roman in a 12-point font size. That's a standard, easy-to-read option. Most readers prefer something classic. You could always test your limits with a more exotic font, such as Calibri or Verdana; however, think carefully before selecting anything too hard to read. You want your editor to pay attention to the content of your writing, not your formatting.

Since you've been given a word count, you know that your article will need to be close to 800 words. Using the chart below, you can see that the same number of words may result in a different page count, depending on the line spacing you select. With the assigned word count, your article would be approximately 3 and 1/5 pages double spaced. Had the editor asked for single spacing, you'd end up with 1 and 3/5 pages. So, you'll need to write around half a page a day to complete the 800-word assignment in seven days.

Of course, you can imagine that the content of your article may influence the page length. Let's say you use lots of long words in your article, like "algaecide" and "alkalinity". That 800-word article about the pool could end up taking up more space in the magazine. By changing the type of font and deviating from standard one-inch margins, you might also be able to manipulate the page count. For that reason, we can't give a definitive answer about how many pages you'll end up writing.

Here's the good news: Most word processors contain a word counter that allows you to check the word count and character count so that you can be precise. Also, if you're writing for an assignment, it never hurts to ask for clarification. Ask the editor if he wants to see a certain number of pages. Request a general guideline for formatting. As a good rule of thumb, use this chart to approximate the number of pages you'll get for a particular amount of words.

If you'd like to know how to convert a speech from pages to minutes, check out this article.

Kari Lisa Johnson

I'm an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In my previous roles as new media producer with Rosetta Stone, director of marketing for global ventures with The Juilliard School, and vice president of digital strategy with Up & Coming Media, I helped develop the voice for international brands. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects.