Essay Word Counter

Write to the target, not the limit

An essay with a 1,000 word limit is not asking for exactly 1,000 words. Markers and editors read a draft that lands within ten percent of the target as on brief. The progress bar here is set to that target so you can see how much room is left before you start trimming.

Average words per sentence tells you more

The average sentence length is the most useful diagnostic on this page. Academic guidance tends to sit between 15 and 20 words for readable prose. Much above 25 and readers start losing the thread of long clauses. Below 10 for a whole essay and the argument can feel choppy, as if every point is being asserted rather than developed.

If your average is high, look for sentences with two or more commas. Those are usually two ideas wearing one coat, and splitting them costs nothing.

Pages, for submission

The pages figure assumes 275 words per page, the common average for a double spaced academic document at 12pt. For single spaced work the real figure is closer to 500. Use the words to pages calculator if you need to adjust for a specific format.

Cutting without losing content

When you are over target, cut in this order. First, delete throat clearing openers such as it is important to note that. Second, replace two word verb phrases with one word verbs. Third, remove adverbs propping up weak verbs. Only after those three passes should you consider dropping evidence.

Most essays are twenty words and one idea longer than they need to be. Read the paragraph out loud and you will hear which words are yours and which are habit.