Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
What is a word counter?
A word counter is a simple tool that tells you how long a piece of writing is. Paste or type your text into the box above and the counter immediately shows the number of words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and an estimated reading and speaking time. It updates as you type, so you can watch the numbers change while you edit.
Word limits are everywhere. Essays, college applications, job cover letters, social media posts, meta descriptions, ad copy and press releases all come with a target length. Going over the limit can get your work rejected, while writing too little can make it look thin. A fast and accurate word count helps you hit the mark every time.
How to use the word counter
- Type directly into the text box, or paste text copied from Word, Google Docs, an email or a web page.
- Read the live statistics: words, characters, characters without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
- Check the top keywords list to see which words you repeat most often.
- Use the Clear button to start again with an empty box.
Features
- Real time counting with no buttons to press.
- Reading and speaking time based on average speeds of 238 and 150 words per minute.
- Keyword frequency that ignores common filler words such as “the” and “and”.
- Private by design: everything runs on your device and nothing is uploaded.
- Works everywhere on phones, tablets and desktop computers.
Common word count targets
A tweet allows 280 characters. A good meta description is around 150 to 160 characters. Most blog posts that rank well in search are between 1,000 and 2,500 words. College admission essays are often limited to 650 words, and a standard cover letter is usually between 250 and 400 words. Keep this page open while you write to stay within these limits.
Tips for better writing
If your keyword list shows one word used far more than others, try replacing a few instances with synonyms. Long sentences are harder to read, so if your average sentence length is above 25 words, split some of them. Short paragraphs of two to four sentences are easier to read on mobile screens.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
It counts groups of letters or numbers separated by spaces or punctuation. Hyphenated words such as "well-known" count as one word, which matches how most word processors count.
Is my text saved or uploaded anywhere?
No. The counting happens entirely in your web browser. Your text is never sent to our server or stored.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time uses an average adult silent reading speed of 238 words per minute. Speaking time uses 150 words per minute, a typical pace for presentations.
Does it work with languages other than English?
Yes. Characters, sentences and paragraphs work for any language. Word counts are accurate for languages that separate words with spaces.