How Long Should a Cover Letter Be? UK Guide and Examples

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-10-30 · Updated 2026-10-30

11 min read

A cover letter should fit on one A4 page: three to five short paragraphs, which in practice is roughly 250 to 400 words. Shorter is fine when the application is an email or the role is simple. Longer is a risk, because the reader has a pile of applications and your letter is the part they can skip. The graduate careers service Prospects puts the recruiter view plainly: "the shorter, the better". Below are six complete letters at different lengths, so you can see what each one looks like on the page. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

I read these letters for a living, in effect, and the ones that got a reply were rarely the longest. They were the ones that stopped when they had said the useful thing.

The short answer, with a letter to show it

The word count follows the job, not the other way round. Here is a standard one-page letter for an office role, which is the length most UK applications should aim for. It has an opening that names the job, one paragraph of proof, one on why this employer, and a close.

Complete Standard length: Administrator, one A4 page example, 172 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Standard length: Administrator, one A4 page (172 words)

Dear Ms Patel,

I am writing to apply for the Office Administrator role at Hartley Dental Group, advertised on your careers page. I am available to start in four weeks.

For the past two years I have worked as a reception and admin assistant at a busy veterinary practice. I manage the appointment diary for five clinicians, handle invoices and supplier orders, and am the first person clients speak to on the phone. When the practice moved to a new booking system, I wrote the step-by-step guide that the rest of the team used.

I would like to join Hartley because you run several sites from one central office, and I enjoy work where the details have to match across more than one place. Your advert asks for someone accurate with patient records and calm with anxious callers. Both describe my current day.

I have attached my CV. I would welcome the chance to discuss the role, and I am free for an interview on any weekday afternoon.

Yours sincerely, Sam Wright

Create my CV
Or start from one of our free resume templates

That letter is about half of one page of text with the address block and spacing around it. It is a good model: nothing in it repeats the CV, and every paragraph does one job.

What the careers services say about length

Prospects says cover letters are "typically, three to five concise paragraphs" and "should not exceed one A4 page". It also gives a job for each paragraph: the first states the position, where you saw it and when you can start; the second shows how your experience matches the job description; the third covers why you want this type of work and this company; the last restates your interest and asks for an interview.

It adds a rule that helps with cutting: "Don't fill up space by repeating what's already covered in your CV." If a sentence only restates a CV line, delete it. That alone brings most overlong letters back to a page.

University careers services say the same. The University of York's careers team says: "Unless you're told otherwise, keep your cover letter brief. One side of A4 is enough." The University of Manchester's Careers Service is just as direct: "Keep to a single page." It also allows that "slight changes to margins and fonts are ok but keep it readable, professional and concise", so shrinking the text to 8 point to squeeze in more is not what it means.

For the layout of the page itself, such as margins, fonts and the address block, see our cover letter format guide, which this page does not repeat.

Length by situation

There is no single right word count. Use the situation to decide.

Email cover letter (the body of the email). Three to five sentences, about 100 to 150 words, with the CV attached. Many people read this on a phone.
Standard application. One page, three or four paragraphs. This is the default for most jobs.
Entry level and school leavers. Shorter is stronger, because you have less to say and padding shows. Half a page is enough.
Career change. Use the full page. You need room to explain why your past work transfers.
Senior roles. Still one page. Seniority is shown by sharper choices, not by more words.
When the advert sets a limit. Follow it exactly. If it says one page, or 500 words, do not go over.

The rest of this page shows each of these in full.

Six complete cover letters at different lengths

Short email version (about 100 words)

Use this when you are applying by email and the employer asks for a covering note. The CV is attached.

Short: email cover note for a retail assistant job, complete example, 92 words

Short: email cover note for a retail assistant job (92 words)

Subject: Application for Sales Assistant, Northgate store

Dear Mr Okafor,

I would like to apply for the Sales Assistant job at your Northgate store, advertised on your website this week.

I have worked weekends in a garden centre for the past year, serving customers, running the till and restocking shelves. I am used to being on my feet and I like helping people find what they came for.

My CV is attached. I am free to start in two weeks and can attend an interview at any time.

Yours sincerely, Priya Nair

Six sentences, no filler. For more letters in this size, see our short cover letter examples.

Entry level (about half a page)

A first job letter has little to prove, so it stays brief and leads with attitude and the one useful thing you have done.

Complete Half page: first job at a cafe, school leaver example, 110 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

Half page: first job at a cafe, school leaver (110 words)

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am applying for the Barista and Counter Assistant role at Bean & Bough, which I saw in your window on Church Street.

I am 17 and finish my A levels in June. I have not had a paid job yet, but I volunteer every Saturday at my local community hall, where I set up the tea and coffee for a lunch club and chat to the guests. I have learned to stay calm when it gets busy and to remember what people usually order.

I can work weekends and school holidays. I would be glad to come in for a trial shift.

Yours faithfully, Jordan Ellis

If this is your first application, our apprenticeship cover letter guide shows the same approach for training roles.

Standard one page (graduate)

This is the full shape: four paragraphs, specific evidence, a reason for this employer.

One page: graduate applying for a marketing assistant role, complete example, 174 words

One page: graduate applying for a marketing assistant role (174 words)

Dear Ms Kowalski,

I am applying for the Marketing Assistant position at Brightwell Foods, advertised on your careers page. I graduate in June with a degree in Business Management and can start in July.

During my final year I ran the social media for the university food society, growing the member list from about 60 to over 200 people by posting short recipe videos and a weekly event reminder. I tracked which posts got the most replies and repeated the format that worked. For my dissertation I surveyed 120 students on their food shopping habits, which taught me to turn raw answers into a clear summary.

Brightwell is the reason I chose this field. Your new range of ready meals is aimed at students and young families, which is the group I surveyed. Your advert asks for someone organised and good with data. My society records and my dissertation give me evidence of both.

I have attached my CV and would welcome an interview. I can attend at short notice.

Yours sincerely, Amara Hughes

Career changer (full page)

A career change needs the room, because the reader must see the link between the old job and the new one. It still ends on the page.

Full page: teaching assistant moving into customer support, complete example, 235 words

Full page: teaching assistant moving into customer support (235 words)

Dear Mr Bennett,

I am writing to apply for the Customer Support Advisor role at Clearwater Energy. After six years as a teaching assistant, I am moving into customer service, and I would like to explain why my background fits.

In a school, I spend each day explaining things clearly to people who are worried or confused, sometimes at short notice and under pressure. I answer parents' questions at the school gate and by phone, I keep accurate records on every pupil I support, and I stay patient when a conversation is difficult. These are the same skills your advert asks for: clear communication, careful notes and calm under pressure.

I have also built practical systems. When our school changed its reporting software, I became the person colleagues came to for help, and I wrote a one-page guide that the office staff still use. That told me I enjoy solving a problem with someone until it is resolved, which is the core of your advisor role.

I chose Clearwater because you publish how you handle complaints and you offer paid training to new advisors. I would like to work somewhere that treats the customer's problem as the work, not a delay to it.

I have attached my CV and would be pleased to talk through any part of it. I am available for an interview during school holidays or by arrangement.

Yours sincerely, Helen Brooks

Senior role (one page, tight)

At senior level the temptation is to add. Cut instead.

Complete One page, tight: operations manager example, 165 words, laid out as it would sit in the application form

One page, tight: operations manager (165 words)

Dear Mr Reid,

I am applying for the Operations Manager role at Tyne Logistics. I have led warehouse and delivery operations for the past eight years and am looking for a larger site.

At my current employer I manage a team of 30 across two shifts. Over the last two years I moved us from paper pick lists to handheld scanners, which cut mispicks, and I rebuilt the rota so that overtime fell without any loss of cover. I report weekly to the site director and own the budget for the warehouse.

Your advert asks for someone who can improve a site that already works. That is the work I enjoy most: finding the small delays, fixing them with the people who do the job, and checking that the fix holds. I would like to do that at Tyne, where you run three depots.

My CV has the full detail. I would welcome a conversation and can meet at your convenience.

Yours sincerely, David Morgan

Our manager cover letter examples cover more senior openings.

When the advert sets a limit

Some employers state a word limit. Follow it exactly, and put the most important point first, in case the reader stops early.

Under a limit: 200 words for a public sector support worker role, complete example, 145 words

Under a limit: 200 words for a public sector support worker role (145 words)

Dear Hiring Panel,

I am applying for the Housing Support Worker post, reference HS-24.

You ask for experience of supporting people with complex needs. For three years I have worked as a support worker in a supported housing scheme with 14 residents. I help people manage their tenancies, attend appointments and build daily routines, and I write clear notes after every shift.

You ask for the ability to stay calm in a crisis. Last winter a resident became very distressed after a bereavement. I stayed with them, called their named worker and followed the safeguarding procedure, and I wrote up the incident the same evening.

You ask for a commitment to partnership working. I attend the monthly review meetings with social workers and the local health team and I follow up every action I am given.

I would welcome an interview.

Yours faithfully, Chris Adeyemi

This answer-the-ad structure is useful whenever a limit is tight, because each paragraph answers one criterion in the person specification.

How to cut a letter that is too long

If your draft runs over a page, cut in this order:

Delete any paragraph that only repeats the CV.
Remove openings such as "I am writing to express my interest" and start with the role.
Replace three vague skills with one specific example.
Cut adjectives. Phrases such as highly motivated and passionate add words and no proof.
Shorten the address block, or drop it for email.

Read it aloud. Where you run out of breath, cut a clause. Then check the page: the letter should still say what the job is, why you fit and how to reach you.

If you do not know whom to write to, our guide to Dear HR Manager cover letters covers the greeting, and Prospects suggests trying to find a name first, then using "a general greeting such as" Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Hiring manager when you cannot.

Create my CV

Frequently asked questions

How many words should a cover letter be?

Aim for 250 to 400 words for a standard application, which fits one A4 page with the address block and spacing. An email cover note can be 100 to 150 words. If the advert gives a limit, treat it as a maximum.

Is a two-page cover letter ever acceptable?

Rarely. Prospects says cover letters "should not exceed one A4 page". Some academic and research posts ask for a longer statement, but they will say so in the advert. When they do not, one page is the safe length.

How many paragraphs should a cover letter have?

Three to five. A simple pattern is: the role and where you saw it, your relevant experience, why this employer, and a close that asks for an interview.

Should an email cover letter be shorter than a printed one?

Yes. The body of an email is read quickly, often on a phone. Keep it to a few sentences that name the job and your best proof, and attach the full letter or CV only if the employer asked for it.

Does the length change for a graduate or school leaver?

A little. You have less work history, so half a page to a full page is normal. Do not pad a short letter with general statements. One concrete example, such as a society, a project or a Saturday job, does more than three paragraphs of adjectives.

Looking for a worked example for your job title? Browse the resume examples by job title.

Get your free ATS score · All articles