How long will that take?
Reading
2 min
at 238 WPM · midpoint
Speaking
4 min
at 140 WPM · midpoint
Drafting
~1 hr
at ~500 words/hour · midpoint
Structure template
5-paragraph essay at 500 words
- Introduction75 words
- Body paragraph 1125 words
- Body paragraph 2125 words
- Body paragraph 3100 words
- Conclusion75 words
Where this range comes from
Purdue OWL essay assignment guidelines; standard US college assignment format · Last verified 2026-04-20