diff --git a/app/templates/partials/check/letter-too-long.html b/app/templates/partials/check/letter-too-long.html
index 45aef892c..42512c71a 100644
--- a/app/templates/partials/check/letter-too-long.html
+++ b/app/templates/partials/check/letter-too-long.html
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   Your letter is too long
 </h1>
 <p>
-  Letters must be {{ letter_max_pages }} pages or less.
+  Letters must be {{ letter_max_pages }} pages or less ({{ letter_max_pages // 2 }} double-sided sheets of paper).
   <br>
   Your letter is {{ page_count }} pages long.
 </p>
diff --git a/app/templates/views/guidance/upload-a-letter.html b/app/templates/views/guidance/upload-a-letter.html
index 2965e2961..a451a5fa2 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/guidance/upload-a-letter.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/guidance/upload-a-letter.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
   <ul class="list list-bullet">
     <li>a PDF</li>
     <li>A4 portrait size (210 × 297 mm)</li>
-    <li>10 pages or less</li>
+    <li>10 pages or less (5 double-sided sheets of paper)</li>
     <li>smaller than 2MB</li>
   </ul>
 
diff --git a/app/templates/views/uploads/choose-file.html b/app/templates/views/uploads/choose-file.html
index 8511053e8..dad4cc0d7 100644
--- a/app/templates/views/uploads/choose-file.html
+++ b/app/templates/views/uploads/choose-file.html
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
     <ul class="list list-bullet">
       <li>a PDF</li>
       <li>A4 portrait size (210 × 297 mm)</li>
-      <li>10 pages or less</li>
+      <li>10 pages or less (5 double-sided sheets of paper)</li>
       <li>smaller than 2MB</li>
     </ul>
 
diff --git a/app/utils.py b/app/utils.py
index 59f236101..d4e92c6cd 100644
--- a/app/utils.py
+++ b/app/utils.py
@@ -612,12 +612,12 @@ LETTER_VALIDATION_MESSAGES = {
     'letter-too-long': {
         'title': 'Your letter is too long',
         'detail': (
-            'Letters must be 10 pages or less. <br>'
+            'Letters must be 10 pages or less (5 double-sided sheets of paper). <br>'
             'Your letter is {page_count} pages long.'
         ),
         'summary': (
             'Validation failed because this letter is {page_count} pages long.<br>'
-            'Letters must be 10 pages or less.'
+            'Letters must be 10 pages or less (5 double-sided sheets of paper).'
         ),
     },
     'no-encoded-string': {
diff --git a/tests/app/test_utils.py b/tests/app/test_utils.py
index b91e473d6..34874ba35 100644
--- a/tests/app/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/app/test_utils.py
@@ -462,12 +462,12 @@ def test_get_letter_validation_error_for_unknown_error():
         None,
         'Your letter is too long',
         (
-            'Letters must be 10 pages or less. '
+            'Letters must be 10 pages or less (5 double-sided sheets of paper). '
             'Your letter is 13 pages long.'
         ),
         (
             'Validation failed because this letter is 13 pages long.'
-            'Letters must be 10 pages or less.'
+            'Letters must be 10 pages or less (5 double-sided sheets of paper).'
         ),
     ),
     (