4,543 words The Constitution is 4,543 words long, including the signatures, and is printed on four pages measuring 28-3/4 inches by 23-5/8 inches each. It is 7,591 words long, including the 27 modifications. The original text was written in American colonial English and based largely on the language of the day, which was somewhat different from modern English. There are several theories about why the length of the Constitution was chosen. One theory is that it was designed to avoid lengthy documents that might distract readers or cause them to lose interest. Another theory is that the length was selected to allow for easy distribution among the colonists for sign-off. A third theory is that the length was determined by the number of letters in the names of the founders: Washington, Adams, Hamilton, and Jay. These were the only names given as possible candidates for president, so they must have been included for any presidency to occur. However, James Madison proposed another theory: that the length was based on the number of paragraphs needed to cover certain subjects. He said this was necessary because some ideas were too important or interesting to be covered in a single sentence. Whatever the case, the length of the Constitution reflects the need for brevity and simplicity in order to ensure its acceptance by the colonies.