How Many Words are 6 Pages of work? Get Optimized Essay Length

This question puzzles many students. In some instances, instructors give students papers to write based on the number of pages and not the word count.

An example is word count in a 6-page paper. In such a case, you will have to consider several factors that determine the number of words that can fit into a page.

The most important factor that determines the number of pages in academic papers is line spacing. This is because most academic papers can either be single-spaced or double-spaced.

How Many Words is a 6-Page Double-Spaced Paper?

A 6-page double-spaced paper will have approximately 1,650 words. This is the standard expected of such a paper.

Using the standard academic guidelines of writing papers whereby a page is typed in 12-point font with 1-inch margins, a page will have approximately 275 words.

For clarity purposes, a single-spaced paper contains twice as many words as a double-spaced paper.

Ideally, a 1-page single-spaced paper has the same number of words as a 2-page double-spaced paper. Now that this is clear, how many words is a 6-page double-spaced paper?

However, several factors determine the number of words that can fit into a 6-page double-spaced paper. Such factors dictate whether there will be more or fewer words within the paper. 

Also Read: Starter Sentences for Essays: Examples and How to write them

Factors Determining the Length of a 6-page Essay

1. Font

This is a very important factor that determines the length of an essay. Though there are academic standards that dictate the type of font to be used and its size, some instructors may require you to type using other fonts.

In most cases, the standard font size for academic writing is 12. When you use a larger font, the paper will be longer because fewer words will fill up the pages. On the other hand, if you use smaller fonts, the essay will be shorter because more words will be required to fill up a page.

Still, on the font issue, you may have noticed that the tools used to write on devices such as computers, tablets, or smartphones have various fonts that can be used to write.

For example, Microsoft Word has hundreds of font types to choose from. Some fonts are generally larger than other fonts because of their design or style.

To put this into perspective, if a 6-page double-spaced essay has been written using size 12 Times New Roman font, it will be longer if you change the font into Aerial size 12. If you select another smaller font, the paper will be shorter. Therefore, font size determines the length of your essay.

2. Graphs/pictures

Graphs and/or pictures also determine the length of your essay. While words take a line within the paper, graphs and/or pictures will occupy several lines within your paper, contributing to the additional length.

For example, if you have written a 6-page essay, adding graphs or pictures will increase the length considerably. This is because if the image doesn’t fit well within the space words have left; it will automatically be transferred to the next page while leaving a blank space within the previous page.

3. Paragraph Format/Length

Paragraph format/length is also an important factor that determines the length of a 6-page essay. Concerning paragraph format, several factors can determine the length of individual paragraphs within the essay.

You can decide to align your paragraph from the left, center, or right sides. You can also decide to change the spacing between lines. As mentioned, single-spaced essays contain twice as many words as double-spaced papers.

Therefore, in terms of length, a double-spaced paragraph will be longer than a single-spaced paragraph. In academic writing, your essay should have indentations to identify the beginning of a new paragraph. Indentations lengthen the essay.

4. Columns

For those of us who are not aware of what columns are, they refer to the way text is organized in column form at the left and right sides of the page, leaving a small vertical space at the center.

Writing in columns compresses the text within a page, shortening the paper. Therefore, using columns in writing will decrease the length of your 6-page essay.

5. Headings and/or Subheadings

Headings and/or subheadings determine the length of a 6-page essay. The more they are, the longer the essay will be because they create additional spaces between text or paragraphs. If you want to make your essay longer, separate your paragraphs using headings and subheadings.

Also Read: How to Write Essays Faster in Exams: Tips to Pass Timed Essays

How long can it take to write a 6-page paper?

The time it would take to write a 6-page paper depends on several factors. They include; your typing speed, the nature of the paper, the number of words required to fill the paper as determined by line spacing, and the general formatting of the paper.

The average time it takes to write a 6-page paper is 5 to 6 hours. When it comes to writing that length with technical work, the average time it would take to complete it is 6-7 hours. However, if you are fast at typing, you can take between 3-4 hours.

How many words is a 6-page single-spaced paper

As we have noted, a single-spaced paper will contain twice as many words as a double-spaced paper. Therefore, if the total number of words within a double-spaced page is 275, then a single-spaced page will contain 550 words.

If there are 6 pages, the total number of words will be 3,330. As you can see, a 6-page, single-spaced paper is equal to a 12-page double-spaced paper.

How long can it take to write a 6-page paper single-spaced?

From what we have noted, a 6-page single-spaced paper will require twice as many words as a 6-page double-spaced paper. Because of the increase in words, writing a single-spaced paper requires double effort.

On average, it takes between 12-14 hours to complete a 6-page single-spaced paper. If double-spaced paper takes certain hours, it would take the same person double the time. However, if you are fast at typing, you can complete the exercise between 6 and 8 hours.

How to write a 6-page paper – A brief overview

The conventions of writing either a 6-page double-spaced or 6-page single-spaced are similar because the only difference between them is the number of words required to fill the pages. When writing such a paper, you should first schedule your time.

By scheduling your time, you will have determined the amount of time you will use to complete the paper. Take some time to research your topic and find good secondary sources to support your arguments.

The next step is to come up with an outline that will act as a guide during your writing. This helps organize your thoughts into paragraphs and makes the process of writing faster and easier.

When you are done with the outline, write an introduction paragraph that introduces the contents of your paper. End the paragraph with a thesis statement.

Once done with the introduction paragraph, start working on the body paragraphs. Depending on the number of words required to complete the 6-page paper, you will have multiple paragraphs containing individual claims and supporting arguments.

The body paragraphs should start with a summary of your claims and a topic sentence that connects them to the topic of your paper. They will also contain an analysis of your summary and supporting facts to demonstrate that your claims are factual.

When you are done with the body paragraphs, end the paper with a concluding paragraph. Here, you should restate the thesis statement, summarize your main arguments or findings, and suggest the implications of your topic concerning its context.  

Also Read: Risks of Using Free Essays: Why you should avoid them