Guides
Practical, in-depth guides on speech writing, word counts, reading time and character limits. Each one explains the topic in full and links to the free tools that put it into practice.
How to Write a Speech That Fits the Time
A practical guide to writing a speech that fits its time slot: how many words per minute, how to structure it, typical lengths by occasion, and how to rehearse.
Word Count Guide: How Many Words Should You Write?
Word counts by format: a standard page holds about 500 words single spaced, 250 double spaced. Plus essays, cover letters, blog posts and books.
How Long Does It Take to Read? Reading Time and Speed Explained
Reading time runs at about 225 words per minute, so 1,000 words takes roughly 4.5 minutes. How reading speed is measured and why it is shown.
Social Media Character Limits: The Complete Guide
Social media character limits: X allows 280 characters, Instagram and TikTok 2,200, LinkedIn 3,000. Where text gets cut off and how to fit it.
How to Clean Up AI-Generated Text
To clean up AI text, start with the em dashes, curly quotes and stock phrases that give ChatGPT away. With before and after examples plus a fast workflow.
How Long Should a Resume Be?
A resume should be one page for most people, two once you have ten years of experience. One page is roughly 400 to 600 words, plus how to cut yours down.
How to Write a Wedding Speech
How to write a wedding speech that lands: the right length, a simple structure that works, what to include by role, and the mistakes to avoid on the day.
How Long Should an Essay Be?
Essay length by type: a five-paragraph school essay is 500 to 800 words, a college application essay around 650, a university essay 1,500 to 5,000.