250 words by font and spacing
Font, point size and line spacing move the page count more than anything else. 1-inch margins, US Letter, no headings or images.
| Font | Single | 1.5 lines | Double |
|---|---|---|---|
| Times New Roman 12pt | 0.5 pages | 0.8 pages | 1.0 page |
| Arial 12pt | 0.5 pages | 0.8 pages | 1.1 pages |
| Calibri 11pt | 0.4 pages | 0.6 pages | 0.8 pages |
| Verdana 12pt | 0.6 pages | 0.9 pages | 1.3 pages |
Estimates for continuous prose; headings, quotes and a reference list add length on top.
How long does 250 words take to read or say?
Silent reading (238 wpm): about 2 min. Read aloud (183 wpm): about 2 min, the number to plan a speech against.
What 250 words looks like in practice
- This is the 250-word minimum Common App sets for its personal essay: the text box accepts nothing shorter, so a 250-word draft is at the application's floor, not a target to write toward.
- It also reads as roughly a tight opening paragraph of a cover letter: who you are and why you are writing, before the letter gets into specifics.
- A short reference or recommendation note, the kind a former manager writes in ten minutes, often lands close to this length: specific, but brief.
- At 300 words, the very next count on this list, you are already into the length the Common App now caps its Additional Information section at.
Writing to 250 words in a different font, size or margin? The words to pages calculator runs this same math for any setting. Check your real count first with the word counter.
FAQ
How many pages is 250 words single spaced?
About 0.5 pages in Times New Roman 12pt with 1-inch margins, or 0.5 pages in Arial 12pt. The exact figure moves with your font, size, spacing and margins: use the calculator above for your own document.
How many pages is 250 words double spaced?
About 1 page in Times New Roman 12pt with 1-inch margins, or 1.1 pages in Arial 12pt. Double spacing is the default most US and Canadian schools ask for; single spacing is the norm for cover letters and business writing.
How long does it take to read or say 250 words?
About 2 min of silent reading at 238 words per minute, the adult average for English non-fiction, or 2 min read aloud at 183 words per minute. Both are averages: time yourself once against the clock if the length is being delivered live.