500 words at a glance
| Measure | Approximately |
|---|---|
| Pages, single-spaced | 1 |
| Pages, double-spaced | 2 |
| Reading time (238 wpm) | 2 min 6 s |
| Speaking time (130 wpm) | 3 min 51 s |
| Typing time (40 wpm) | 12 min 30 s |
| Characters with spaces | ≈ 2,850 |
| Characters without spaces | ≈ 2,350 |
| Sentences (at 18 words each) | ≈ 28 |
| Paragraphs (at 100 words each) | ≈ 5 |
| Audiobook narration (155 wpm) | 3 min 13 s |
These are estimates built from average figures; the exact numbers for your own text appear in the Word Counter.
What fits in 500 words
A five-paragraph essay, with an introduction and conclusion of about 60 words and three body paragraphs of about 125, fits exactly. A cover letter, a short scholarship answer, a product description, a news brief, a short story flash fiction piece or a Common App essay draft at about 500 words are all typical. It is also a common minimum for blog posts, though search engines do not require any length.
Writing exactly 500 words
If you are short, add an example, a counter-point or a transition. If you are long, cut introductions that restate the question, delete duplicated sentences and tighten phrases; see How to Increase Word Count and How to Reduce Word Count. Aim to land within about ten percent of the target unless a strict maximum applies.
500 words in other units
Convert to pages with Words to Pages Converter, to reading time with Words to Minutes Converter, to speech length with Words to Speaking Time Converter and to characters with Words to Characters Converter. For essay-level context, read How Many Words in an Essay?.
Try it yourself
Put the numbers above to work with these free tools:
Frequently asked questions
How many pages is 500 words?
One single-spaced or two double-spaced.
How long does it take to read 500 words?
About two minutes.
How many paragraphs is 500 words?
Around five.
Is 500 words long?
It is short for an essay and long for a social post.