For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt.
Skip to main content

Model UN Position Paper Word Counter

Check your Model UN (MUN) position paper against your conference's limit before you submit it. Paste the draft to see words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, estimated pages, and reading and speaking time, with a progress bar toward your limit. It also checks for the sections chairs look for and counts your citations. Everything runs in your browser, and your text is never uploaded.

Counted in your browser. Your text is never uploaded or saved: refresh the page and it is gone.

Your limit

Page presets assume about 500 words per single-spaced page. If your conference sets a page limit, check the final document too, since fonts, margins and headings change how much fits.

0 / 500 wordsLimit: 500 words.

Counts

Words
0
Characters
0
with spaces
Characters
0
without spaces
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0
headings not counted
Est. pages
~0
single-spaced; ~0 double-spaced
Reading time
~0:00
at 230 words a minute
Speaking time
0:00
read aloud at 130–150 words a minute

Pages and times are estimates. Your word processor may count a few words differently (around dashes, slashes and numbers, for example); if your conference is strict, confirm the final number in the program you submit from.

Structure check

Looks for the sections most Model UN position papers cover, by heading or, where there is none, by what the text says. Not every conference uses headings, so treat “not found” as something to check, not a mistake.

Paste your draft above to check its sections.

Citation check

Paste your draft above to count its citations.

How to use the word counter

  1. Paste the whole paper

    Copy your position paper from your document and paste it into the box, header and works cited included. The counts update as you type or edit. Your text stays in your browser.

  2. Set your conference's limit

    Pick 1, 1.5 or 2 pages (about 500 words per single-spaced page), or type the exact word limit from your background guide. If the limit is per topic, paste one topic at a time.

  3. Decide whether the bibliography counts

    If your sources sit under a heading such as "Works Cited" or "Bibliography" and your conference does not count them, tick "Don't count the bibliography" to see the body count on its own.

  4. Read the structure and citation checks

    The structure check looks for a header and the four sections most papers cover: background, past international action, your country's policy and proposed solutions. The citation check counts footnote markers, numbered and author-year references, links and works-cited entries, and warns when it finds none.

  5. Cut or add until it fits

    Use the progress bar to trim to the limit, then confirm the final count in the program you submit from.

Why the limit matters

Your position paper is the first thing the dais learns about your delegation, and chairs read a whole committee's worth of them before the first session. The limit in your background guide is part of the assignment: going over it tells the chair you didn't read the instructions, and at conferences that tie awards to position papers it can cost you.

There is no single Model UN standard. Some conferences ask for one single-spaced page per topic, others for several; some count the header and works cited, others don't; some set the limit per topic and others for the whole paper. Find the position paper section of your background guide or the conference website, set the limit here to match, and check it again after every round of edits.

What the numbers mean

Estimated pages
Word count divided by 500, the approximate number of words on a single-spaced page of 12-point text with 1-inch margins, or 250 when double-spaced. It is an estimate: headings, a header block and different fonts all change how much fits, so check the page count of the file you actually submit.
Speaking time
How long the text takes to read aloud at 130–150 words a minute. It shows why your paper is not your opening speech: a one-minute speech holds roughly 130 to 150 words, so a one-page paper would take several minutes to deliver. Pick its strongest lines for the speech and save the rest for moderated caucus and your draft resolution.
Sentences and paragraphs
A paragraph is a line of prose; headings and header lines such as “Country: Japan” are not counted as paragraphs. Sentence counts skip the periods in decimals, initialisms such as U.S. and abbreviations such as “e.g.”, so they are close but not exact.

Over the limit? Where to cut

Most drafts run long in the same places. Work through these in order before you touch your evidence.

Shorten the background first

Your chair wrote the background guide, so repeating it back earns nothing. Two or three sentences that define the problem and one sourced figure are usually enough; the words are better spent on your country's record and your solutions.

Cut the throat-clearing

"It is important to note that", "The delegation would like to emphasize that" and "In today's world" can go without losing anything. After the first mention, "the Delegation of the Republic of Korea" can simply be "the Republic of Korea".

Split long sentences

The counter flags any sentence over 40 words. Long sentences usually hide a list or two ideas; splitting them often reveals a clause you can drop, and makes the paper easier to skim before committee.

Merge overlapping solutions

Two or three specific proposals beat five vague ones. If two ideas share the same actor or funding source, combine them into one proposal that could become a single operative clause.

Keep the facts, lose the adjectives

Resolution symbols, votes, treaty names and figures are what make a paper credible. "Extremely significant and deeply concerning" is not. Cut descriptive words before you cut evidence.

Don't shrink the format

Shrinking the font, margins or line spacing to fit a page limit can break the formatting rules in your background guide, and a cramped page is harder to read. Fit the words to the page, not the page to the words.

Frequently asked questions

How many words is a one-page Model UN position paper?
About 500 words, single-spaced, in a 12-point font with 1-inch margins, which is the estimate this tool uses. Headings, a header block, a bigger font or wider margins lower that number, and double spacing roughly halves it to about 250. If your conference sets a page limit, check the final document as well as the word count.
Does the bibliography count toward the word limit?
It depends on the conference, so check the position paper section of your background guide or the conference website. If your sources sit under a heading such as Works Cited or Bibliography, tick "Don't count the bibliography" to see the body count on its own, and untick it to see the total.
Is my position paper uploaded or saved?
No. The counting happens in your browser and your text is never sent to Model Diplomat or saved; refresh the page and it is gone. We record anonymous usage events, such as that a draft of a certain length was pasted, but never the text itself.
Why is my word count different from Word or Google Docs?
This tool counts every run of characters between spaces that contains a letter or a number, so a hyphenated word, a URL or a document symbol like A/RES/79/10 is one word and a lone dash is none. Word processors have their own rules and can differ by a few words. If your conference is strict, confirm the final number in the program you submit from.
Should I count each topic separately?
If your conference sets the limit per topic, yes: paste one topic at a time and check each against the limit. If the limit covers the whole paper, paste everything at once.
Why does the structure check say a section is missing?
It looks for headings such as "Background", "Past International Action", "Country Policy" or "Proposed Solutions", on their own line or at the start of a paragraph followed by a colon. Without a heading it looks for signs in the text, like a resolution symbol or "the Government of", and marks the section as possibly covered. Many papers are written without headings, so a "not found" is a prompt to check, not a mistake.
How is speaking time calculated?
By dividing the word count by a speaking rate of 130 to 150 words a minute, a common planning range for a prepared speech. Reading time uses about 230 words a minute. Both are estimates; time yourself reading aloud to be sure.
Is the word counter free?
Yes. The counter is free and needs no account. If you want feedback on your draft, you can paste it into Model Diplomat search; a free account includes 200 searches on day one, then 50 a day.
All Model UN tools

Get a chair's-eye review of your draft

The counter tells you how long your paper is. Model Diplomat can tell you whether it is convincing: which claims need a source, whether your country's policy matches its record, and what to cut first. The button opens search with a review prompt ready for you to paste your draft into; only what you send there leaves your browser. A free account includes 200 searches on day one, then 50 a day.