Dissertation Word Count Calculator
In a 10,000-word dissertation, the literature review is usually about 2,000 words: 15 to 25 per cent of the total. Enter your own word limit and level to see how long your literature review and every other chapter should be, and how many sources to cite. Free, with no sign-up.
Your word count plan
Enter your word limit to see how long your literature review and every other chapter should be.
Use the limit your handbook gives, usually excluding the abstract, references and appendices.
Aim for about 2,000 words of literature review (1,500–2,500, or 15–25% of 10,000).
- Sources to cite in the review
- 13–20
- Key works to read closely
- 10–14
- Themes to plan
- 2–3, about 570–850 words each
| Chapter | Share | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 10% | 1,000 (500–1,000) |
| Literature review | 20% | 2,000 (1,500–2,500) |
| Methodology | 15% | 1,500 (1,500–2,500) |
| Results or findings | 20% | 2,000 (1,500–2,500) |
| Discussion | 25% | 2,500 (1,500–2,500) |
| Conclusion | 10% | 1,000 (500–1,000) |
For comparison, the University of Kent puts a Undergraduate literature review at no more than 2,000 words. Your handbook or supervisor overrides every number here.
Have your papers? Upload them to Litrevu and ask what they say about your question. Every answer links to the passage it came from, so you can plan your themes from the sources themselves.
Try it with your papersLiterature review length for common dissertation lengths
For a dissertation with its own data. Change the level or type in the calculator for a literature-based dissertation or a standalone review.
| Dissertation | Literature review | Sources to cite | Key works |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000 words, Undergraduate | About 1,600 (1,200–2,000) | 11–16 | 8–11 |
| 10,000 words, Undergraduate | About 2,000 (1,500–2,500) | 13–20 | 10–14 |
| 12,000 words, Honours | About 2,400 (1,800–3,000) | 16–24 | 12–16 |
| 15,000 words, Master's | About 3,000 (2,250–3,750) | 20–30 | 15–20 |
| 20,000 words, Master's | About 4,000 (3,000–5,000) | 27–40 | 20–27 |
| 80,000 words, PhD | About 9,600 (8,000–12,000) | 64–96 | 80–108 |
| 100,000 words, PhD | About 12,000 (10,000–15,000) | 80–120 | 100–135 |
How the calculator works
Chapter shares. The introduction takes about 10 per cent of a dissertation and the conclusion 5 to 10 per cent (University of Westminster). Each core chapter, the literature review included, takes 15 to 25 per cent (University of Hull, citing Greetham's How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation). The calculator's targets sit inside those ranges and add up to your whole word count.
PhD theses. A thesis has more chapters, so each takes a smaller share. The review target is 12 per cent (10 to 15), anchored on the University of Kent's description of a PhD review as one chapter of perhaps 8,000–10,000 words. Results or studies usually run across two or three chapters. That split is Litrevu's, not a university's.
Literature-based dissertations have no separate review chapter: the literature is the body of the work, so the calculator splits it into themed chapters of 15 to 25 per cent each. Standalone reviews are all review: about 10 per cent each for the introduction and conclusion, and themed sections for the rest.
Sources. Kent suggests 8 to 10 significant pieces for an 8,000-word dissertation and up to 20 for 12,000 to 15,000 words; the calculator scales that to your length and flags when you are outside that band. The number of sources cited is Litrevu's rule of thumb: one for every 100 to 150 words of review.
Themes. Also Litrevu's guidance: 2–3 for an undergraduate review, 3–4 at honours, 4–6 at Master's and 5–8 for a PhD, each with its own section.
Your handbook, assignment brief or supervisor overrides every number here.
Where the numbers come from
- University of Kent, Writing a literature review
A PhD literature review typically comprises one chapter of perhaps 8,000 to 10,000 words, a Master's review around 2,000 to 3,000 words, and an undergraduate review no more than 2,000. As a very rough rule, 8 to 10 significant pieces for an 8,000-word dissertation, up to 20 for 12,000 to 15,000 words.
Checked 2026-09-23.
- University of Hull Library, Literature-based projects (citing Greetham, How to Write Your Undergraduate Dissertation)
The introduction is usually around 5 to 10 per cent of the word limit, each chapter around 15 to 25 per cent, and the conclusion around 5 per cent.
Checked 2026-09-23.
- University of Westminster Library, Dissertation structure
The introduction is roughly 10% of a dissertation's word count, and the conclusion roughly five to ten percent.
Checked 2026-09-23.
Questions
How long should a literature review be in a 10,000-word dissertation?
About 2,000 words, within 1,500–2,500: 15 to 25 per cent of the total. That matches Kent's guidance that an undergraduate review is usually no more than 2,000 words.
What percentage of a dissertation is the literature review?
Usually 15 to 25 per cent for an undergraduate or Master's dissertation with its own data, the range the University of Hull gives for any core chapter. Kent puts a Master's review at around 2,000–3,000 words. A PhD review is a smaller share of a much longer thesis, about 10 to 15 per cent. In a literature-based dissertation the review is most of the document.
How many sources do I need for a 10,000-word dissertation?
About 13–20 cited in the literature review, by Litrevu's rule of one per 100 to 150 words, of which 10–14 are key works you read closely, scaled from Kent's guidance.
Does the word count include the abstract and references?
Handbooks differ. Many count the main text only and leave out the reference list and appendices, and some also leave out the abstract. Enter the figure your handbook gives for the part that counts.