How long should a cover letter be?
Short answer: 250–400 words, three to five paragraphs, one page. That is long enough to prove you fit and short enough to be read in under two minutes. Paste your letter below to check it.
Paste or type your letter to see where it lands.
Length by situation
| Situation | Words | Paragraphs |
|---|---|---|
| Online form or job board text box | 100–200 | 2–3 |
| Email cover letter | 150–250 | 3 |
| Hourly, retail, hospitality | 150–250 | 3 |
| Most professional jobs | 250–400 | 3–5 |
| Senior or executive | 350–500 | 4–5 |
| Academic or research (check posting) | 500–1,000 | 5+ (up to 2 pages) |
Read time assumes about 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for non-fiction reported in a 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert. A recruiter skimming will go faster, which is why the first two sentences matter most.
How to cut a long cover letter
- Delete anything that repeats your résumé without adding context or a result.
- Keep one result per paragraph, the one that best matches the job ad.
- Cut the warm-up: first sentences like "I am writing to apply" or "My name is".
- Remove filler words: very, really, just, actually.
- Merge the close into two lines: thanks and a next step.
The AI generator has a "Shorter" rewrite button that keeps your strongest proof. For a short model letter, see the short cover letter template.
Frequently asked questions
How many words should a cover letter be?
Aim for 250–400 words in the body. Under 150 usually looks rushed; over 450 rarely gets read to the end. Senior and academic roles can run longer; hourly and high-volume roles can be shorter.
How many paragraphs should a cover letter have?
Three to five: an opening, one or two paragraphs of proof, an optional "why this company" paragraph, and a close. Keep each paragraph to three or four sentences.
Can a cover letter be two pages?
Not for most jobs. Keep it to one page. Academic, research and some senior executive applications are the exceptions, where two pages may be expected; check the posting.
Is a short cover letter better?
A short, specific letter beats a long, generic one. If the application form has a character limit or says the letter is optional, 100–200 words is fine.