What is the ideal word count for IELTS writing?
What is the ideal word count for IELTS writing?Updated July 2022.
This is a common question many IELTS candidates have but there seems to be misinformation out on the internet about word count in the IELTS writing section.
Although the word count penalty has been abolished I would advise writing more than 250 words in an essay and over 150 words in writing task 1 to fully develop your answer. Here are some examples of what I have heard about the word count in IELTS essays and writing task 1.
Common myths about word count.
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You do not need to write more than 250 words in writing task 2.
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You must write over 350 words for a Band 8 essay.
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In writing task 1 write more than 200 words for a high score.
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You should count every single word in the essay.
Let’s take each myth one by one.
1. IELTS says that you should write at least 250 words in writing task 2 and 150 words in writing task 1. There is no penalty anymore but I advise writing more than 250 words to fully develop your essay.
2. A very long essay will not give you a higher band score. If you write a long essay, for example around 350 words, then two problems will arise.
- You will run out of time and may not finish your essay. If you do not write a conclusion you will lose a band score in task response.
- You will be more prone to making grammar and vocabulary mistakes. Also, the essay could go into irrelevant detail and there is a danger of going off-topic.
3. The same goes for writing task 1. If you write a very long report of more than 200 words you will run out of time and may include information that you just don’t need to report on. The task prompt says in writing task 1 academic: ‘Summarise the information by selecting and reporting on the main features…’
4. As for counting your words, you cannot count every single word because this is not practical. Estimate generally how many words you have on a line then count the lines. Aim for more than 250 words but under 300 words in task 2 writing. In the computer-based exam, the word count is on the screen so that is very useful.
What’s the ideal word count?
My advice is to aim for between 260 to 295 words in writing task 2 and between 160 to 190 words in writing task 1. This will ensure a concise essay or task 1 report and will be realistic in terms of time management. You have only 40 minutes to write the essay and you need around 10 minutes of planning time, so you will not be able to write a long essay in 30 minutes.
As mentioned before, you will not get a higher band score for a very long essay. It must be concise, clear, and direct to the point. Irrelevant detail will cause problems with your band score.
Are there any cases where the examiner doesn’t count words?
Yes! if you copy the task question word for word without attempting to paraphrase then the examiner will not count those words.
The same is true for writing the conclusion. If you just repeat the introduction word for word or repeat whole sentences the examiner will not count the words. This is why paraphrasing is a crucial part of your writing. Click the links below for lessons on paraphrasing.
How to paraphrase the introduction writing task 2
Paraphrasing without synonyms
Another thing to bear in mind is that if you memorise chunks of model answers and plug them into the essay the examiner will know it is a memorised answer and you will get a penalty.
Note on repetition: You can repeat some words throughout the essay. You do not get a penalty for using the same word 3 or 4 times because in some cases it is difficult to find synonyms for certain words. This is where the confusion arises about repetition.
The problem is when you are repeating whole sentences or repeating the introduction in your conclusion.
Important advice
Your goal is to write in a concise clear manner, your ideas should be relevant to the task and easy for the reader to follow. If you try to use convoluted language or add lots of ideas to impress the examiner it could cause problems with coherence and end up with a high word count. Click here to see a lesson on keeping your writing simple and concise.
Any questions? leave a comment below.
How long should your IELTS writing task 1 & task 2 be? Learn how the examiner counts your words and the recommended length of your IELTS essay. This page contains information about:
- IELTS Writing Word Count Rules
- Recommended Essay Length
- Word Count Warning
- How Words are Counted in IELTS writing
IELTS Writing: Word Count Rules
- IELTS have set a task of writing OVER 150 words for IELTS writing task 1 and 250 for writing task 2.
- However, there is no upper word limit.
- While the under word count penalty has been removed, writing an essay that is too short will lower your score. Click here: penalty removal and short essays
Recommended Length of an IELTS Essay
- Always write over the word count as this is the best way to approach your IELTS writing.
- Aim for around 170 – 190 for writing task 1 and about 270 – 290 for writing task 2. This will mean you have developed your writing sufficiently for the higher scores in terms of words, but you must still ensure that each sentence is relevant and focused.
- Don’t write too much. Aim for quality rather than quantity. This means focus on writing excellent English and organising your information rather than writing a long essay in task 2. The also applies to your report in task 1 academic or your letter in task 1 GT.
Watch this video to learn more about how long your IELTS essay should be:
Will you get a higher score for a longer essay in IELTS?
The answer is very simple = no. IELTS is look for a highly relevant, focused essay. If you try to add information that is not 100% relevant to your task, you will get a lower score.
Don’t try to add a hook to your introduction to make it interesting. You don’t get more points for interest. You get more points for being focused and concise.
You do not get a higher score for a longer essay.
Warning for IELTS Writing Word Count
- If you copy the information given by IELTS for your introduction, the examiner will not count those words. This means you might be under the word count. So, always paraphrase your introductions. This lesson shows you how to write an introduction for IELTS writing task 2 by paraphrasing.
- How to check how many words you have written – you don’t have time to count each word you have written, so you should count the lines instead. Knowing the length of your handwriting on the official writing answer sheet will help. Watch this video lesson to learn about practicing with the official writing answer sheet.
More IELTS Writing Tips & Lessons
10 Sentences to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 2
How many Paragraphs for an IELTS Essay
How to use the Official Answer Sheet for IELTS Writing
All IELTS Writing Task 2 Lessons, Model Answers, Tips & Free Videos
Main IELTS Pages
Develop your IELTS skills with tips, lessons, free videos and more.
- IELTS Listening
- IELTS Reading
- IELTS Writing Task 1
- IELTS Writing Task 2
- IELTS Speaking
- Vocabulary for IELTS
As you may know, there’s an IELTS word count penalty for writing task 1 and writing task 2. To avoid a penalty, for task 1, you will need to write a minimum of 150 words and for task 2, you will need to write a minimum of 250 words.
Let’s talk a little bit more about how to avoid getting an IELTS word count penalty below.
What is the Word Count Penalty for Task 1 and Task 2?
If you don’t write enough words on writing task 1 and 2, you will get a lower score. While IELTS doesn’t say exactly how much you will get penalized, they do clearly state that your score will be lower if you don’t meet the word count requirements.
To avoid the penalty, I recommend writing more than the minimum number of words required. You should target 175 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2. This not only ensures that you won’t lose points for not writing enough, but it will also help you to increase your score. Many essays that achieve the highest band score are above the minimum requirements.
How Words are Counted on the IELTS
How are words counted in IELTS writing? Most of that time whatever seems like one word will be counted as one word. But sometimes, it can be hard to tell if certain words count as more than one word.
Below is a quick overview of different kinds of words and how they’ll be counted on the IELTS test.
Compound Nouns
A compound noun is a noun (person, place, thing, or animal) that is made up of one or more words. Sometimes these words are pushed together into one word, and sometimes they’re separated into two or more words.
Compound nouns that are written as one word count as one word. For example:
- Toothpaste = tooth + paste pressed into one word
- toothpaste = one word
Similarly:
- Sunrise = one word
- Dishwasher = one word
Compound nouns that are written as two words count as two words, even if the two words are used together to reflect one idea. For example:
- Full moon = two words
- Washing machine = two words
Hyphenated Words
All hyphenated words count as one word. For example:
- Mother-in-law = one word
- Up-to-date = one word
Numbers, Dates, and Times
Numbers, dates, and times are almost always counted as one word. For example:
- 500 = one word
- 7:15am = one word
- 10/24/1982 = one word
However, if a number is written out like this, it will count as two words or more:
- ten thousand = two words
- 3 million = two words
Similarly, dates that are written like this count as two words or more:
- October 24th = two words
- August 24th, 2021 = three words
Fractions
Fractions are counted as one word. For example:
- 1/3 = one word
- two-fifths = one word
Words With Symbols
Words with symbols (like the $ or %) attached to them count as one word. For example:
- $10.00 = one word
- 25% = one word
However, note that if a dollar or percentage is written out, they count as two words:
- Ten dollars = two words
- Twenty-five percent = two words
Websites and URLs
Websites and URLS are counted as one word. For example:
- Magoosh.com = one word
- https://ielts.idp.com/ = one word
Contractions
Contractions are always counted as one word, even though they represent the combination of two words. For example:
- it’s = one word (even though it’s = it is)
- we’re = one word
Words in Parentheses
Singular words in parentheses are always counted as one word. For example, consider the following sentence:
- Hybrid cars are (much) more energy efficient.
- (much) = one word
If there’s more than one word in the parentheses, each word is counted. For example:
- Hybrid cars are (so much) better for the environment.
- (so much) = two words
Prepositions and Articles
Many people assume that “small” words like “a” or “the” or “in” are not counted on the IELTS but they all are.
Prepositions like “under” and “in” and “on” and “at” are all counted as one word.
Note that prepositional phrases like “across from” and “adjacent to” are counted as two word (or however many words are in the phrase).
Articles like “a” and “the” are counted every time they show up in a sentence. For example:
The dog ran around the block while the dog walker chased it = 12 words (with “the” showing up 3 times)
But I Thought the IELTS Eliminated the Word Count Penalty…
Unfortunately, no. As of this time, IELTS has not announced that they will eliminate the word count penalty. Some teachers say that you can write slightly under the word count and not get penalized, but we don’t believe it’s worth the risk!
What’s the IELTS Word Count Penalty for Writing Too Many Words?
There is no penalty for writing too many words. That said, we don’t encourage you to overwrite. Again, the IELTS writing task 1 word count you should aim for is 175 and the IELTS writing task 2 word count you should aim for is 275.
Writing more than this can cause you to stray off topic and include information you don’t need. You may also run out of time to edit your work.
Should I Count the Words in My Essay?
No, it’s probably not worth it. Your time is better spent drafting a well-written essay than counting your words. If you practice, you should hit your word count targets without a problem.
Remember, as long as you meet the word count, the goal is quality, not quantity.
IELTS Paper-Based Writing Recommendations
To avoid an IELTS word count penalty, we highly suggest that you practice answering task 1 and task 2 under similar conditions as you will on testing day. If you’re taking the paper test, that means writing on official IELTS answer sheets.
Here are sample answer sheets for task 1 and task 2. Since everyone’s handwriting is different, how many lines you use will differ from other test takers.
Practicing these tests on the official paper will help you see how many lines you use to write 150 and 250 words. When you’re familiar with what these amounts look like on the page, you’re more likely to be successful on testing day!
IELTS Computer-Based Writing Recommendations
If you’re taking the IELTS exam on a computer then the computer will count your words for you. We still recommend practicing these tasks so you can get a feel for each essay length.
In Conclusion: What to Know about the Word Count Penalty
So, just to recap: to avoid an IELTS word count penalty, you will need to write at least 150 words for task 1 and at least 250 words for task 2.
Keep in mind that these are the other factors that will impact your score:
- Your handwriting—if the examiner can’t read your handwriting, you will be penalized.
- The quality and content of you responses—if your responses seem in any way memorized, your answers could be disqualified and result in a score of zero. Likewise, if you do not answer the questions fully or you stray far off topic, you will lose points.
Happy practicing and good luck!
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Eliot Friesen-Meyers is the Senior Curriculum Manager for Magoosh IELTS and TOEFL. He attended Goshen College (B.A.), New York University (M.A.), and Harvard University (M.T.S.), gaining experience and skills in curriculum development, ESOL instruction, online teaching and learning, and IELTS and TOEFL test prep education. Eliot’s teaching career started with Literacy Americorps in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later, taught ESL programs at Northeastern University, University of California-Irvine, and Harold Washington College. Eliot was also a speaker at the 2019 TESOL International Conference. With over 10 years of experience, he understands the challenges students face and loves helping them overcome those challenges. Come join Eliot on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Recent blog posts
Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 1
Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 2View all posts
In the past, you automatically lost points from your Task Achievement / Response score if you wrote an under-length essay, report or letter. However, from mid-2018 the automatic IELTS word count penalty was removed. There has been no official announcement of this change and the information was supposed to be sensitive. However, as many people are now discussing this on various social media platforms, I thought it was time I addresses this issue to ensure students understand what this change means.
What does the new IELTS word count rule mean for students?
Well, honestly, not very much! Nothing on your exam papers will change. The prompts will still ask you to write 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2. And ‘short’ pieces of writing will still be penalised, but just in other ways. How? Well…….
- If you write less than the recommended word count, your ideas probably won’t be extended enough to achieve a 7.0 for Task Response / Task Achievement.
- If you run out of time and don’t write a conclusion for your essay, you will also receive a low score for Task Response and/or Coherence and Cohesion, as you probably won’t have a clear position or finished paragraphs. Click here to read my blog post about what to do if you run out of time in the exam – it could save you at least 1 band score for TR!)
- Short answers might not also contain enough language to have ” a wide range of complex sentences”, which will affect your Grammatical Range and Accuracy Score.
- In the same way, it will be hard to achieve a very high score for Lexical Resource if you don’t provide the examiner with a wide enough sample of your writing. The examiner can only give you points for the words they see on your exam paper, so make sure you write enough to show them your best vocabulary!
However, the change in the IELTS word count rules WILL mean that you no longer have to waste time counting words!!! And, if you do write a response that is only SLIGHTLY shorter than the word limit, there is a chance now that you will not be penalised in any way if you have addressed the task fully. This could make a HUGE difference to high-level students who end their essays at around 240 words.
So, if there are no longer hard and fast rules about how many words you have to write, this leads to the next question………
Want to know how the examiner will apply the band descriptors when marking your IELTS essay?
Then download a copy of our FREE e-book, which explains how each of the four marking criteria is applied and includes the most common errors made by test-takers. Just click here for your copy.
How many words should you write in the IELTS exam?
So, what makes the perfect length of an essay is an interesting question. Let’s be clear, there has NEVER been an upper-word limit in the IELTS exam (unlike other Cambridge tests). The instruction has always been:
Write at least 250 words (essays)
Write at least 150 words (report and letters)
So, if 250 and 150 were the minimum number of words, does that make them the ideal word count, or should you write more? And, if you do write more, how much more? Do more words mean a higher score?
Well, the answer is “yes and no”. On the one hand, you have to write essays that address the task fully, which requires you to extend your ideas. On the other hand, you need to have “error-free sentences” if you want to have any hope of scoring a 7.0 of higher for Grammatical Response and Accuracy (and more sentences usually means more errors!)
I have always felt that between 280 – 340 words is about right for the essay and around 180 – 200 words for the letter or report.
For me, this is the right balance between having ideas that are well-extended and having time to check your writing for errors. However, if you are a very strong student, for example, a native speaker or a student who is at C1 or C2 level, you might be able to write more than this and still have good control of your grammar and vocabulary. In this case, you could even go as high as 400 words for an essay – but this is exceptional.
As I said, for most students, the more they write, the more mistakes they make, which is why it can be a good idea to limit the length of your response. Also, long responses can become repetitive or off-topic, which will again affect your score negatively.
I always tell my students that, in IELTS, every word should add something valuable to your score – if it’s not scoring you points, it shouldn’t be on the page!!!!
IELTS MYTH – “The examiner stops reading after 300 words”.
This is total rubbish! The examiner is paid to assess every word that you write! If you want to write 1,000 the examiner would have to sit and read every one!!!! (but don’t do that!)
Find out the basics of IELTS Writing in 4.12 minutes!
🧮 What words are counted in an IELTS essay? 🧮
The general answer is ALL of them! I don’t know why, but some students don’t view articles (a / an / the) and prepositions (in / on / at / of/ etc) as “real words”, which probably explains why they forget to use them! But in the IELTS exam every “a” or “of” has the same value as a long word like “multiculturalism” or “environmental”!
Interestingly, in the past there were quite complicated rules about what counted as one word and what counted as two. For example, words with a hyphen were one (e.g self-aware = ONE), while figures and a symbol separated by a space where two (e.g. 30 % = TWO!)
However, with the new IELTS word count rules, those small differences are no longer important (which I am sure every examiner is happy about, as counting words was probably the least favourite part of their job!)
I do still think it is a good idea for students to what 250 words and 150 words look like in their handwriting on a page so that you can quickly “guesstimate” how many words you have written the exam. The best way to do this is to practice writing on the official IELTS answer booklet.
For me, 150 words is about a side and a half, and 250 is 2 and a half. Having a rough knowledge of how much you have written is still useful to make sure you are on track in the exam – unless, of course, you are sitting the IELTS computer-based test, which has a word counter!
So, as you can see, the end of the IELTS word count penalty does not mean that you can now stop worrying about the number of words you write. It is still essential to write more than 250 and 150 words to achieve a high score. If you want to know how to write essays, reports, and letters that are well-extended and satisfy the IELTS band descriptors, then join my 33-hour interactive IELTS writing course.🚀
What words should I count towards a Task 1 or Task 2 word count?
Students often ask if they want to work towards a word count for both Task 1 and 2, what words can the include in the count.
What words are counted in an IELTS essay?
The general answer is ALL of them!
Some of the words included in the word count but often ignored by students include
articles (a / an / the)
and
prepositions (in / on / at / of/ )
In some languages, such as Slavic Languages, articles are used less or even don’t exist, or prepositions are completely different, as in French or Italian.
This may explain why some students forget to use them!
But in the IELTS exam every “a” or “on” has the same value as a long word like “propaganda”, “internationalism” or “environmentalism”!
Previously, IELTS used complicated rules about what counted as one word and what counted as two.
Examples included words with a hyphen were one (e.g self-service = ONE), while figures and a symbol separated by a space where two (e.g. 60 % = TWO!)
Now those small differences are no longer so important because examiners need only estimate if a task is underlength.
However, I believe it is still a good idea for students to be able to gauge what 250 words and 150 words looks like in their own handwriting to negate the need of a word count. Just like examiners do!
The best way to do this is to practice writing on the official IELTS answer booklet paper. I’ve done this and 150 words in my handwriting is about a side and a half, and 250 is about 2 and a half sides.
Being able to estimate how much you have written is also useful to make sure you are on track in the exam – unless, of course, you are sitting the IELTS computer -based test, which has a word count!
I’m Jonathan
I’ve taught IELTS and University English in more than a dozen universities and schools around the world.
I’m a parent, traveller and passionate about language teaching and helping students achieve their dreams.
Whilst living in Austria or working in Asia, I run IELTS courses to help students get to where they want to be.
If you are serious about IELTS, connect with me to see how I can help you.
