Document Guide

How Many Words Should a Novel Be?

Quick Answer

A typical novel is 70,000-90,000 words. The full range is 50,000-120,000 words depending on type, purpose, and requirements.

Novel Word Count Guide

A standard novel is 70,000-90,000 words. Genre affects expectations: romance novels average 70,000-100,000 words, thrillers 70,000-90,000, fantasy/sci-fi 90,000-120,000+, and literary fiction 70,000-100,000. Young adult novels tend to be shorter at 50,000-80,000 words.

How to Track Your Novel Word Count

Use our free word counter tool to paste your novel 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.