How many words are in a typical novel?

Question

Think of a standard paperback: perhaps 300 pages, with roughly 300 words on a full page. Solve in your head. Estimate the total number of words in the novel. Aim: under 15 seconds.

Accepted Answer

Just multiply the two round numbers: 300 	imes 300 = 90{,}000 	ext{ words.} That lands right in the real range: most adult novels run 80{,}000–100{,}000 words, so about 90{,}000 is a solid answer. Takeaway. Some Fermi problems collapse to a single product of two things you can picture, pages and words-per-page here. Recognising when there is no long chain to build saves you from overcomplicating an easy estimate.

How many words are in a typical novel?

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