How many words are in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?
by C.S. Lewis · 1950 · Fantasy
38,421
Word count
2 hr 41 min
Reading time
154
Est. pages
1950
Published
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis is approximately 38,421 wordslong. At an average reading speed of 238 words per minute, that's about 2 hr 41 min of reading spread across several sittings. First published in 1950, 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 38,421 words, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe comes in below the typical range — closer to a novella in length.
Source: Reedsy word count database; Geoffrey Bles first-edition count · referenceVerified 2026-06-19
Fantasy novels of similar length
| Title | Author | Word count |
|---|---|---|
| A Wizard of Earthsea | Ursula K. Le Guin | 56,533 |
| 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 |