Word count to pages
How many pages is 120,000 words?
120,000 words is about 480 double-spaced manuscript pages, 240 single-spaced pages or 400 pages in a 6" x 9" paperback.
Pages in a 6" x 9" paperback
400
At about 300 words a page
Double-spaced manuscript
480
Industry standard: 250 words a page
Manuscript, double-spaced
12pt, 1-inch margins · ~250 words a page
480 pages
Single-spaced document
12pt, Word or Google Docs · ~500 words a page
240 pages
Paperback 5" x 8"
Typical trade layout · ~250 words a page
480 pages
Paperback 5.5" x 8.5"
Typical trade layout · ~275 words a page
437 pages
Paperback 6" x 9"
Common nonfiction size · ~300 words a page
400 pages
Reading time
8 h 24 min
Audiobook length
12 h 54 min
Outside the usual ranges below, which is fine if the book needs it.
Pages
120,000 words in pages
Page counts for the common formats. Paperback numbers assume a typical trade layout; your designer's font and margins decide the final count.
| Format | Words a page | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Manuscript, double-spaced (12pt, 1-inch margins) | 250 | 480 |
| Single-spaced document (12pt, Word or Google Docs) | 500 | 240 |
| Paperback 5" x 8" (Typical trade layout) | 250 | 480 |
| Paperback 5.5" x 8.5" (Typical trade layout) | 275 | 437 |
| Paperback 6" x 9" (Common nonfiction size) | 300 | 400 |
Time
How long is 120,000 words to read?
Average adult speeds from a review of 190 reading studies, plus the audiobook rate ACX uses.
| Activity | Speed | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Silent reading, nonfiction | 238 words a minute | 8 h 24 min |
| Silent reading, fiction | 260 words a minute | 7 h 42 min |
| Reading aloud or a speech | 183 words a minute | 10 h 56 min |
| Finished audiobook | 9,300 words an hour | 12 h 54 min |
More options, or paste your own text, in the reading time calculator.
Book length
What is a 120,000-word manuscript?
At this length it matches the typical range for: novel.
- Novel: 40,000+ words
Writing it takes about 240 days at 500 words a day, or 120 at 1,000. Typical lengths for every genre are in how many words in a book.
Other word counts
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