Simone Lawson
The US Constitution is a relatively short document, comprising 4,543 words, including signatures, or 17 pages, including all Amendments. It is estimated to take 30 minutes to read, or 45 minutes to read aloud. In comparison, the Declaration of Independence, with 1,458 words, takes about 10 minutes to read. The US Constitution is significantly shorter than the world's longest constitution, that of Alabama, which has over 310,000 words.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of words | 4,543 (including signatures but not the certificate on the interlineations) |
| Number of words (with amendments) | 7,543 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Time taken to read | 30 minutes |
| Longest constitution in the world | Alabama, over 310,000 words |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution's word count
The US Constitution, the oldest constitution in use by any country, contains 4,543 words, including the signatures but excluding the certificate on the interlineations. It takes about 30 minutes to read it out loud. To put that into perspective, the Declaration of Independence has 1,458 words and takes about 10 minutes to read, while the Farewell Address, with 7,641 words, requires 45 minutes.
The US Constitution is written in a style that can be challenging to understand. For example, the Second Amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The language and structure of this sentence are confusing to modern readers, who may struggle to interpret the meaning and intended scope of the right to bear arms.
The Constitution's word count and complexity have led to initiatives to make it more accessible to the public. One example is the live reading event organised by the City of Bluffdale, Utah, on September 17, 2024, to commemorate the signing of the Constitution in 1787. During this event, students, community leaders, and Daughters of American Revolution (DAR) Founding Fathers actors will take turns reading the Constitution aloud, demonstrating that understanding this foundational document is essential to advancing American ideals of liberty, equality, democracy, respect for the rule of law, and patriotism.
While the US Constitution is the oldest in continuous use, other countries have even older constitutions. Norway's constitution dates back to 1814, and Luxembourg's was written in 1868. However, many nations have chosen to scrap their old constitutions and write new ones when significant changes are needed, rather than attempting to modernise an outdated document.
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How long it takes to read out loud
The length of time it takes to read out loud the U.S. Constitution depends on the reader's pace and the version of the Constitution being read. On average, it takes around 45 minutes to an hour to read the entire document out loud.
For example, in 2024, the City of Bluffdale, Utah, partnered with area schools to read the U.S. Constitution out loud as a community, and the event was scheduled to take place within 45 minutes. On the other hand, in 2011, a public reading of the Constitution in Congress lasted for 84 minutes and was preceded by bickering and followed by public criticism.
The Constitution's length can vary depending on whether it includes amendments and the formatting of the text. For instance, a version of the Constitution with "translations" of the legalese comes in at 89 pages. The old-timey capitalization and random capitalisation of words can also make the document slightly harder to read.
However, despite these variations, the U.S. Constitution is still significantly shorter than many other founding documents, such as the rules to Parcheesi, which is about a third of the length of the Constitution without amendments.
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How long it takes to read silently
The U.S. Constitution, including signatures but excluding the certificate on the interlineations, is approximately 4,543 words long. The main body of the Constitution is 7 articles long and was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The Declaration of Independence, which is part of the Constitution, contains 1,458 words and takes about 10 minutes to read. The Amendments add another 3,000 words. In total, the U.S. Constitution, including the Amendments, is estimated to take about half an hour to read silently. This is, of course, dependent on one's reading speed and level of familiarity with the text.
The length of time it takes to read the Constitution silently can vary depending on a few factors. Firstly, reading speed can vary from person to person, with some people being faster or slower readers than others. Additionally, one's familiarity with the text can impact reading speed. The Constitution contains complex language and legal terminology that may slow down reading time for those unfamiliar with the content.
Another factor that can affect the reading time is the inclusion of the Amendments. The U.S. Constitution has 27 Amendments, with the most recent one being added in 1992. Including the Amendments adds about 3,000 extra words to the text, which can significantly increase the time it takes to read silently.
It is worth noting that the U.S. Constitution is not a particularly long document compared to other constitutions. For example, the Constitution of India is the longest in the world, with 145,000 words, while the Constitution of Alabama is the longest in the U.S., with over 310,000 words.
In conclusion, reading the U.S. Constitution silently, including the Amendments, is estimated to take around 30 minutes for the average reader. However, this time can vary depending on reading speed, familiarity with the text, and the inclusion of the Amendments.
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How long it takes to read with amendments
The US Constitution is written in fairly plain English and is thus relatively easy to read and understand. The Constitution has 4,543 words, including the signatures but excluding the certificate on the interlineations, and takes about half an hour to read.
The length of time it would take to read the Constitution with its amendments depends on how many amendments are included. There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution since it was enacted. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted following Thomas Jefferson's insistence. The Twelfth and Thirteenth Amendments took the longest period to be added to the Constitution, with a span of 61 years between them from 1804 to 1865.
The length of time it would take to read all 27 amendments would depend on the reading speed of the individual. As a rough estimate, assuming an average reading speed of about 200 words per minute, it would take around 23 additional minutes to read all 27 amendments, which contain a total of 5,352 words. Therefore, reading the entire Constitution with all 27 amendments would take approximately 53 minutes.
It is worth noting that the amendments vary in length, with some being relatively short and others being more detailed. For example, the Second Amendment, which focuses on the right to bear arms, is a single sentence, while the First Amendment, which deals with freedom of religion, speech, and the press, is longer and consists of multiple clauses.
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The world's longest constitution
The US Constitution, which came into force in 1789, is the oldest and shortest written constitution still in force. It has 4,543 words, including signatures, and takes about half an hour to read. The Declaration of Independence, by contrast, has 1,458 words and takes about 10 minutes to read.
The process of drafting a constitution can vary significantly. A 2009 study showed that the average time taken to draft a constitution is around 16 months. However, there are some extreme cases. For example, the Myanmar 2008 Constitution was secretly drafted over more than 17 years, while Japan's 1946 Constitution was drafted in just one week.
The length of a constitution does not necessarily correlate with its longevity. While some constitutions, like that of the United States, have remained in force for several centuries, others, like the French Constitution of 1791, did not last more than a year.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution has 4,543 words, not including the amendments, which add up to another 3,000 words. It takes about half an hour to read, and about 45 minutes to read out loud.
The US Constitution, including amendments, is about as long as two chapters of the first Harry Potter book. It is also shorter than Pride and Prejudice.
India has the longest constitution of any nation, with 145,000 words. The US state of Alabama has the longest constitution of any state, with over 310,000 words.
