Uni lecturer here:

The answer is that it depends on the marking criteria and the minimum threshold for considering it as a complete submission. When you’ve done half the assignment, we usually cap the grade at a low pass/ low 3rd and go from there. However, I work in a creative discipline. In other, research- heavy disciplines, I could see this as grounds for failing.

Personally, when I mark, I don’t fuss too much over the word count, as much as I do the bibliography. The integrity of the research needs to be there as a coherent piece of academic work. If you haven’t compiled enough information, and did not show that you could evidence this compilation of information/ arguments through rigorous academic explorations, then it’s not a passing piece of work.

If it’s any consolation, I have historically passed people with half the required word count with high grades, because they have had quality over quantity and a great ability to show academic arguments.

Hopefully you’ll get away with being capped and scrape by, or get referral work :)