Fact · Dictation for work and study
50,000words
The Wikipedia article on the novella, quoting a 2018 article in The Writer, says a novella tops out at 50,000 words, which is the minimum length for a short novel.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“A novella typically starts at about 20,000 words and tops out at 50,000, which is the minimum length for a short novel.”
Novella, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, n.d., Definition section, quoting The Writer.
Open the original- What it measures
- The article notes there is no mathematical exactness to these ranges. Award rules use other cutoffs, such as 40,000 words for the Nebula novel category.
- What it does not show
- A secondary quote from an encyclopedia, not a publisher's guideline. Publishers and award rules set different limits, so this is a typical lower bound for a short novel, not a standard.