Word Counter shows the number of words, characters, sentences and paragraphs in your text, with estimated reading and speaking time. Useful for essays, articles and social posts.
Count words, characters and more
A word counter tells you how long your writing is. Students need to meet an essay length, writers aim for article targets, social media posts have character limits and translators often charge by the word. Paste your text into the box above and get the number of words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs, plus estimated reading and speaking times.
Why length matters
- Essays and assignments usually have a minimum and maximum word count.
- Articles and blog posts perform better when they match the depth readers expect for the topic.
- Social media limits characters. Posts, bios and titles often have strict limits.
- Search snippets show roughly 150 to 160 characters of a page description and about 60 characters of a title.
- Speeches and videos are planned by time, so words per minute is a handy measure.
What the numbers mean
Words are groups of characters separated by spaces. Characters with spaces counts every key you typed, while characters without spaces ignores spaces and line breaks. Sentences are counted by full stops, question marks and exclamation marks. Paragraphs are blocks of text separated by an empty line.
Reading and speaking time
Reading time assumes an average adult reads about 200 words per minute. Speaking time uses about 130 words per minute, which suits a clear presentation pace. These are estimates; technical text is read more slowly, and light text can be read faster. Use the results to plan a talk, a video script or the length of a newsletter.
Tips for better writing length
- Do not stretch text just to reach a number. Clear and complete writing matters more.
- For web articles, cover the topic fully, with short paragraphs and helpful headings.
- For titles, keep them short enough to fit on a phone screen.
- Read your text aloud once. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.
- Check your count again after editing, because small changes add up.
Differences between programs
Different programs count words slightly differently. For example, some treat a hyphenated word as one word and others as two, and some count numbers and symbols in different ways. If an exam or publisher requires a specific word counter, use their method for the final check.
Privacy
The text you type is analysed in your browser. It is not uploaded, saved or shared, so you can safely check private drafts, assignments or confidential reports.
Troubleshooting
The result shows zero. Make sure you typed or pasted text into the box before pressing the button.
The count differs from another program. Counting rules vary slightly. Small differences are normal.
Sentences look wrong. Abbreviations and decimals contain full stops and may be counted as sentence ends.
Free and unlimited
There is no limit on text length and no sign-up. Paste, click and read your statistics.
A real-world example
Iqra is writing a scholarship essay that must be between 500 and 600 words. She pastes her draft and sees 642 words, with a reading time of about three minutes. She trims repeated sentences, checks the count again and ends with 587 words. She also notices the paragraph count and decides that one long paragraph should be split into two for easier reading.
Checklist before you submit
- The count meets the minimum and maximum requirements.
- You compared the count with the official counter if one is required.
- Paragraphs are a comfortable length.
- You proofread the text after trimming.
Related tools
Case Converter fixes capitalisation, Remove Duplicate Lines cleans lists of keywords, and Lorem Ipsum Generator provides dummy text for layouts.
More questions about this tool
Does the counter include numbers and symbols?
Numbers and symbols separated by spaces are counted as words, just like in most word processors. Hyphenated words count as one.
Can I use this for non-English text?
Yes. The tool counts groups of characters separated by spaces. For languages written without spaces, character counts are more reliable than word counts.
Can I count words in a document file?
Copy the text from your document and paste it into the box. The tool counts only what you paste, so headers, footers and tables are included only if you copy them.
How to use Word Counter
- Type or paste your text.
- Click "Count words".
- Read the statistics below.
Frequently asked questions
How is reading time calculated?
It assumes an average adult reads about 200 words per minute.
Is my text saved?
No. Your text never leaves your browser.
Is this tool really free?
Yes. All tools on this website are free to use, with no sign-up needed.
Are my files and data safe?
Yes. Everything is processed inside your own browser. Your files and text are not uploaded to our servers.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The tools work on modern phones, tablets and computers.