How many words are in A Wizard of Earthsea?
by Ursula K. Le Guin · 1968 · Fantasy
56,533
Word count
3 hr 58 min
Reading time
227
Est. pages
1968
Published
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin is approximately 56,533 wordslong. At an average reading speed of 238 words per minute, that's about 3 hr 58 min of reading spread across several sittings. First published in 1968, it sits in the Fantasy category.
Typical fantasy novels run 70,000–150,000 words, with a sweet spot around 90,000–120,000. At 56,533 words, A Wizard of Earthsea comes in below the typical range — closer to a novella in length.
Source: Reedsy word count database; cross-referenced with first-edition publisher data · referenceVerified 2026-04-20
Fantasy novels of similar length
| Title | Author | Word count |
|---|---|---|
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | C.S. Lewis | 38,421 |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | J.K. Rowling | 76,944 |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | 95,356 |
| Eragon | Christopher Paolini | 157,220 |
| The Fellowship of the Ring | J.R.R. Tolkien | 187,790 |
| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | J.K. Rowling | 257,045 |