A typical cover letter is 250-350 words (200-400 word range). Complete guide to cover letter word counts with Australian academic standards and tips.
Published: April 2026 | Last Updated: April 2026
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A typical cover letter is 250-350 words. The full range is 200-400 words depending on type, purpose, and requirements.
A cover letter should be concise and focused — ideally fitting on a single page. In Australia, most hiring managers spend 6-7 seconds scanning a cover letter, so brevity is key. Aim for 3-4 paragraphs: introduction, why you're a fit, key achievement, and a call to action.
Use our free word counter tool to paste your cover letter text and instantly see your word count, character count, paragraph count, and estimated page count. It's the fastest way to ensure you're within your target range.
Paste your text into our free word counter tool to instantly count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and pages.
Open Word CounterHow many words should a cover letter be?
A typical cover letter is 250-350 words. The acceptable range is 200-400 words, depending on the specific requirements, type, and purpose.
How many pages is a cover letter?
At the typical length of 250-350 words, a cover letter is approximately 2-2.8 pages double-spaced (12pt Times New Roman, standard margins).