Word Counter

Paste or type your text to count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs instantly. Nothing is uploaded: counting happens in your browser.

Free · Runs in your browser · Your text is never uploaded

A paragraph of text with a counter showing the number of words and characters

How the word counter works

A word is any run of letters or digits, optionally joined by an apostrophe or hyphen, so “don’t” and “well-known” each count once. Characters are counted as visible characters, with and without spaces, and emoji count as one character. Sentences end at a period, question mark or exclamation mark; paragraphs are blocks separated by a blank line.

Reading time assumes about 238 words per minute, the average adult silent reading speed found in reading research. Speaking time assumes 150 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or voice-over.

Common length limits

  • Meta description: about 155–160 characters before Google truncates it.
  • Page title: about 50–60 characters.
  • Post on X (Twitter): 280 characters for most accounts.
  • College essay or abstract: usually set as a word range by the institution.

The keyword table highlights words you repeat most (ignoring very common words), which helps you spot overused terms in a draft.

Popular word counter presets

Frequently asked questions

How does this tool count words?

It counts sequences of letters and numbers, allowing apostrophes and hyphens inside a word. Spaces, punctuation and line breaks separate words.

Does it count characters with or without spaces?

Both. The results show characters including spaces and characters excluding spaces, since different forms ask for different counts.

Is my text saved or sent anywhere?

No. The counting runs entirely in your browser, and your text never leaves your device.

How is reading time calculated?

By dividing the word count by 238 words per minute, an average adult reading speed. Technical or dense text takes longer.

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