diff --git a/ci/build39.sh b/ci/build39.sh
index b9c76635df99b..b37d65fb981d7 100755
--- a/ci/build39.sh
+++ b/ci/build39.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 sudo apt-get install build-essential gcc xvfb
 pip install --no-deps -U pip wheel setuptools
 pip install numpy python-dateutil pytz pytest pytest-xdist hypothesis
-pip install cython --pre # https://github.com/cython/cython/issues/3395
+pip install cython # https://github.com/cython/cython/issues/3395
 
 python setup.py build_ext -inplace
 python -m pip install --no-build-isolation -e .
diff --git a/pandas/_libs/writers.pyx b/pandas/_libs/writers.pyx
index 40c39aabb7a7a..918b150dc8b99 100644
--- a/pandas/_libs/writers.pyx
+++ b/pandas/_libs/writers.pyx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import cython
 from cython import Py_ssize_t
 
 from cpython.bytes cimport PyBytes_GET_SIZE
-from cpython.unicode cimport PyUnicode_GET_SIZE
+from cpython.unicode cimport PyUnicode_GET_LENGTH
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ cpdef inline Py_ssize_t word_len(object val):
         Py_ssize_t l = 0
 
     if isinstance(val, str):
-        l = PyUnicode_GET_SIZE(val)
+        l = PyUnicode_GET_LENGTH(val)
     elif isinstance(val, bytes):
         l = PyBytes_GET_SIZE(val)