Count Words and Characters
- Words
- 0
- Characters
- 0
- Characters without spaces
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Lines
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 sec
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
Paste an essay, a post or a product description and see the word count, character count with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and reading time update as you type.
- Free
- Runs in your browser
- Updates as you type
- No sign-up
How It Works
Get your counts in three steps.
Paste or type
Drop your text into the box. Nothing needs to be uploaded or saved.
Read the counts
Words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, lines and reading time change with every key you press.
Check repeated words
The most used words list shows which words you lean on, so you can vary them.
What does a word counter count?
A word counter splits your text into words, sentences and paragraphs and totals them. It sounds trivial until a limit matters: a 250-word essay answer, a 160-character SMS, a 2,200-character Instagram caption. This one counts hyphenated words such as "e-mail" and contractions such as "don't" as one word, and counts an emoji as one character even though it is stored as several code units.
Different tools disagree by a word or two on edge cases like numbers with decimals or URLs. If a limit is strict, leave yourself a small margin.
Characters two ways
With spaces for limits like SMS and meta descriptions, without spaces for some translation and publishing quotes.
Reading and speaking time
Reading time assumes 238 words a minute, a common average for silent reading. Speaking time assumes 130, a relaxed presentation pace.
Paragraphs and lines
A paragraph is a block separated by a blank line. Lines counts every line break, which helps with poems and lists.
Most used words
Words of three letters or more, ranked by how often they appear, to spot a word you have used too many times.
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Why Use This Word Counter
Built for writers who work to a limit.
Live counts
Every number updates on each keystroke, so you can trim a paragraph and watch the total drop.
Private
The text is counted in your browser tab and is never sent anywhere. Close the tab and it is gone.
Emoji-aware
Emoji, accented letters and flags count as one character each, as a reader would count them.
Works on any device
Use it on a phone to check a caption or on a laptop for a 5,000-word report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions people ask about the Word Counter.
Yes. "Well-known" and "e-mail" are one word each, and so are contractions like "don't". Text separated by a dash with spaces around it counts as two words.
Word count divided by 238 words a minute. Speaking time uses 130 words a minute. Real speed varies with the reader and how technical the text is, so treat both as estimates.
X counts every link as 23 characters and some characters as two. This tool counts what you see, so use it as a guide and check the final post in the app.
No fixed limit. Very long texts of several hundred thousand words may make typing feel slower on older phones, but the counts stay accurate.
No. Nothing is saved or uploaded. Refreshing the page clears the box.
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