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Purdue OWL documents the standard 12pt Times New Roman + double-spaced + 1 inch margins conventions most 5-page essays assume. Purdue OWL MLA formatting guide.
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5-Page Essay Word Count
Words-per-page tables and how to plan a 5-pager without under-writing.
Quick answer
- 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced: 5 pages equals 1,250 words.
- 12pt Times New Roman, single-spaced: 5 pages equals 2,500 words.
- 12pt Arial, double-spaced: 5 pages equals 1,150 to 1,200 words.
- 11pt Calibri, double-spaced: 5 pages equals 1,300 to 1,400 words.
Why the range
Font choice, spacing, and margin size all move the number. 250 words per double-spaced page is the working rule for 12pt Times; other fonts shift it by 5 to 15 percent. Anything you set beyond default 1-inch margins pushes the count further.
How to plan a 5-page essay
- Introduction: 150 to 200 words
- Three body paragraphs: 250 to 300 words each
- Counter-argument or synthesis: 200 to 250 words
- Conclusion: 100 to 150 words
Try the counter
Paste the draft into the live counter. See the full words-per-page tables for other lengths.
Common questions
Does 5 pages mean the body only?
Usually yes. Title page, works-cited page, and appendices are extra. Check the assignment brief.
Are 12pt Times and 12pt Calibri the same?
Close, not identical. Calibri renders slightly narrower, so 12pt Calibri fits 5 to 10 percent more words on the same page.
What if my professor wants 1.5 spacing?
1.5 spacing puts 5 pages between the double-space (1,250 words) and single-space (2,500) numbers. Rule of thumb: 1,700 to 1,900 at 12pt Times.
Do bullet lists count as their line height?
Yes. Bulleted lists render tighter than paragraph text and pack more words per page than the flat rule of thumb suggests.
What if my essay hits 5 pages but under-develops the argument?
Page count and argument depth are different problems. Use the counter and the readability grade to check; a low unique-word count often flags padding.