How to Avoid Going Over an Essay Word Limit

Many people have trouble writing an essay to a specified length. It can be hard to keep the length of an essay in mind when you are writing quickly and focusing on putting your ideas into words. However, with some organization and attention to editing, you should be able to keep any essay under its assigned word limit. This guide will help you keep the quality of your essay strong while still respecting the word limit you were given.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Writing to a Specific Length

1
Develop a clear thesis. The thesis statement of an essay is the overall point you are trying to argue or get across. In most cases, it is a one sentence response to the prompt you were given for your essay. With a clear thesis statement you can spend the rest of the essay methodically backing up whatever claim you made in your thesis.^{[1]XTrustworthy SourceUniversity of North Carolina Writing CenterUNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing processGo to source}
- For example, if your teacher gives you the prompt of "What is the most important invention of the 19th century?" your thesis statement could be "The most important invention of the 19th century was the steam engine."
- Having a clear thesis statement helps you to focus your writing. This allows you to minimize rambling and off-topic sections that could lengthen your essay unnecessarily.
2
Outline your essay. Starting with an outline will allow you to remember all the parts of the essay that need to be included. It will also help you gauge how long each part should be. To begin your outline, write out the main points you would like to make to support your thesis statement. Each separate point will be the basis for one of the paragraphs in your essay.^{[2]XResearch source}
- The number of points you will need to support will depend on how long your essay is supposed to be. Plan on only having two or three paragraphs per page. If you are writing a 2 to 3 page paper, you will likely only need a handful of points. If you are writing a 10 to 12 page paper, you will need a lot more points in your outline.^{[3]XResearch source}
- Consider adding bullet-pointed thoughts under each of your main supporting points. This can help you start to build the structure of each of your paragraphs as you outline.
3
Stay on topic. To keep within your word count, you need to stay on topic. Not only do you need to be precise in your word choice, you need to be concise. Follow your outline closely and avoid going off on tangents. One good way to make sure you are staying on topic is to check back to your outline and thesis statement after you write each paragraph. Make sure that the paragraph is directly addressing your main topic and is helping to support your thesis.
- For example, remove anecdotes that increase word count. Don't follow up side points from an anecdote just because they're interesting. All of the content of the essay should be there because it directly supports your thesis statement.
- If you do accidentally go off on a tangent or an aside, cut them later. If you begin cutting content while you are writing the rough draft, you'll have less to work with in the end.
4
Keep track of your word count as you go. Most advanced word processing programs will permit you to keep track of the number of words as you write your essay. You should utilize this feature to make sure you are on track as you write. If you have written half of the paragraphs you outlined and you are about halfway to your word count, then you are on track to have the right number of words in your essay.
- In Microsoft Word, select the "Tools" submenu from the Toolbar and then select "Word Count."^{[4]XResearch source}
- In other programs, you may need to look in different places. You can typically use your "Help" menu to find the word count feature.
- Alternatively, an online word counting tool will automatically display the number of words and characters.
- Handwritten pages typically average about 100 to 200 words per page. The number of words on your pages depends on how big your writing is.^{[5]XResearch source}
5
Proofread your essay several times. When you first write your essay, you might use too many words without realizing it. This is where crammers and procrastinators can lose out. Leaving your essay until the last minute prevents time to reread it and to remove any superfluous words, phrases, and ideas.
- Try reading the essay out loud to make sure that its words flow.
- Have a peer or friend check your work and help remove the unnecessary additions. A neutral set of eyes can often prove helpful in spotting repetition.
6
Place additional information at the end of your essay. Where possible, place charts, lists, case studies, diagrams, mind maps, drawings, etc. in an attachment at the end of the essay. This will help you avoid overwhelming the reader and will make the word count reflect the actual number of words you used in the body of your essay.
- However, most teachers and professors frown on attempts to hide additional information in footnotes. Footnotes are meant to reference and occasionally bolster points, not to provide additional information that you couldn't cram in anywhere else.
Time helps you to see errors and repetition. If you complete the essay 24–48 hours before it's due, this gives you time to put it aside and come back to it. In the rereading, you're bound to find redundancy and extraneous words you can remove.^{[6]XResearch source}
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Reducing Your Word Count

1
Reduce your word count after you have drafted your essay. Keep the word limit in mind as you write, but don't worry if you go over a bit. Take the time to trim your essay only after you're done writing. Be sure to get all your points written down and then go back and try to reduce your word count.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If you trim the excess after you have written your essay, you're more likely to have a clear and concise essay in the end.
- Write first and edit later. If you constantly worry about word limits, you will often end up discarding ideas that add to your paper.
2
Replace phrases with single words. There are always opportunities to say more with less. Look for areas in your essay where you can be more concise. For example:^{[8]XResearch source}
- Verbs such as "ask for" or "put up with" can often be replaced with single verbs like "request" or "tolerate."
- Replace "at the same time" with "simultaneously" and "by the same token" with "similarly."
- The adverb "immediately" can be used in lieu of phrases such as "right now" and "as soon as."
- Replace full clauses such as "It is clear that" and "It should be obvious that" with single adverbs such as "clearly," "obviously," or "evidently."
- A sentence with "the reason why... is that..." can be rewritten with just the conjunction "because." For example: "The reason why ice floats is that..." becomes simply: "Ice floats because..."
3
Take out words that do not change the meaning of your sentences. When you are editing your work, there are usually words that can be removed because they do not add anything to your sentences. For instance, unnecessary words like "actually," "really," or "basically" can typically be omitted. These are fluffy words that do not enhance your writing.
- In fact, taking extraneous words out makes your sentences stronger. For example, the statement "I am actually a great writer" sounds stronger when it is phrased simply as "I am a great writer."
4
Avoid redundancies, also known as pleonasms. You can reduce your word count by eliminating common redundancies in your sentences. Some common redundancies include "added bonus," "chase after," "end result," and "join together."^{[9]XResearch source}
- Sentences such as "Where is she going to?" and "Where is the house at?" have unnecessary prepositions. They do not have to be overt if they aren't followed by the object in these constructions.
5
Remove repetition. Try to make each of your points just once. Making your point effectively and succinctly the first time eliminates the need to repeat yourself. This takes practice but it's a skill worth honing; you'll appreciate this skill throughout your life.^{[10]XResearch source}
- Decide when you will make each of your points and only mention them there. If you find yourself mentioning a point repeatedly and it doesn't do anything to support that specific paragraph, then delete it.
6
Avoid excessive hedging. Sometimes you have to qualify statements, especially when discussing theories, predictions, allegations, or correlations. Words that reduce your statement, such as "possibly" or "might," are hedging words. Avoid using multiple forms of the same hedging in a sentence.
- An example of too much hedging is: "There is a chance that the man might possibly come today." This sentence sounds better as: "There is a chance that the man will come today."
- "I think that" is often an unnecessary form of hedging. Instead of writing, "I think that," give the reason why you think so. For example, just state that "Variable A will likely increase variable B because...."
7
Try removing the first sentence from your paragraphs. In many cases, the first sentence of a paragraph is just filler and does not add to the overall point of the paragraph. Go through your essay and see if there are any first sentences you can easily remove while still holding onto the integrity of the paragraph.^{[11]XResearch source}
- You can also work on combining the first and second sentences of your paragraphs. Sometimes you can combine them and reduce your word count, while still retaining the underlying meaning of both of them.
8
Don't become overly attached to your writing. Knowing what to cut is an important characteristic of good writers. Ask yourself: "Would I want to wade through this? Is it written engagingly and is it to the point?" If you answer no, then you know that you're not being direct or communicating well with your audience.
- Cut excess ideas but don't delete them completely if you think they have merit. Place them in a new document for another essay or for free writing inspiration.
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How do you get rid of fluff in an essay?
Diane Stubbs
Secondary English Teacher
Diane Stubbs is a Secondary English Teacher with over 22 years of experience teaching all high school grade levels and AP courses. She specializes in secondary education, classroom management, and educational technology. Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Delaware and a Master of Education from Wesley College.
Diane Stubbs
Secondary English Teacher
Expert Answer
Take a journalistic approach to your writing by addressing the who, what, where, when, and how of your topic. Depending on how much room you have, you can add in more specifics related to these elements.
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How do I avoid going over an essay's word limit?
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In order to not go over the given limit, refrain from using unnecessary words or phrases that have no relevance or extreme importance to the topic.
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Are titles necessary on all of my essays?
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In most cases, yes. Always add a title to be safe unless your instructor specifies otherwise.
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Tips

Many teachers place a word limit as a general guideline, not as an exact rule. If this is the case, then going over a little bit won't be a major problem. What teachers don't want are gigantic papers that have not been edited or well thought out.
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Warnings

While passive voice has a place, particularly in the methods sections of scientific papers, you should generally avoid it. Even if it allows you to save a word here or there on the length of your paper, the passive voice tends to make your writing less clear and direct, and your tone more stilted and formal. Use sparingly if your aim is to write with clarity and concision.
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