A typical short story is 3,000-5,000 words (1,000-7,500 word range). Complete guide to short story word counts with Australian academic standards and tips.
Published: April 2026 | Last Updated: April 2026
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A typical short story is 3,000-5,000 words. The full range is 1,000-7,500 words depending on type, purpose, and requirements.
Short stories typically range from 1,000-7,500 words. Flash fiction is under 1,000 words (often under 500). A novelette is 7,500-17,500 words, and a novella is 17,500-40,000 words. Many Australian literary journals accept stories between 2,000-5,000 words.
Use our free word counter tool to paste your short story 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 short story be?
A typical short story is 3,000-5,000 words. The acceptable range is 1,000-7,500 words, depending on the specific requirements, type, and purpose.
How many pages is a short story?
At the typical length of 3,000-5,000 words, a short story is approximately 24-40 pages double-spaced (12pt Times New Roman, standard margins).