Count words and characters online
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Words
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Characters
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Characters (no spaces)
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Sentences
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Paragraphs
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Reading time (min)
Whether you're checking an essay against a word limit, tightening a meta description, or timing a speech, this tool counts words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs as you type — entirely in your browser. It also estimates reading time based on an average adult reading speed. Nothing you type is sent anywhere; counting happens instantly and locally.
How words are counted here
Words are counted as runs of characters separated by whitespace, which is the same approach Word and Google Docs use. That matters because it determines edge cases: a hyphenated term like 'well-known' counts as one word, an em dash surrounded by spaces counts as none, and a numeral counts as a word. If you are writing to a limit set by an examiner or editor who checks in Word, this will agree with them.
Which count your limit actually means
Different contexts measure differently and getting this wrong is a common way to fail a requirement. Essays and articles are almost always specified in words. Social media limits, SMS, and database fields are in characters, usually including spaces. Some forms specify characters excluding spaces, which is why both figures are shown. Meta descriptions for search results are measured in characters including spaces, with roughly 155 the practical ceiling.
Reading time and why it is approximate
Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute, a widely used average for adult silent reading of general prose. Treat it as a rough guide rather than a measurement: dense technical writing reads considerably slower, familiar light content faster, and reading aloud is slower again at roughly 130 words per minute. For timing a speech, the spoken figure is the one to use, not this one.
Frequently asked questions
- How is word count calculated?
- Words are counted as sequences of characters separated by whitespace, matching how most word processors count.
- Does this tool store what I type?
- No, all counting happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is saved or transmitted.
- How is reading time estimated?
- Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute, a commonly used average adult silent-reading speed.
- Can I count characters including spaces?
- Yes, the tool shows both character count with spaces and without.
- Is there a limit to how much text I can paste?
- No fixed limit — very large pastes (100,000+ words) may briefly slow down as your browser recalculates.
- Does the count update as I type?
- Yes, every figure recalculates instantly with each keystroke — there is no button to press.
- How are sentences counted?
- By detecting terminal punctuation — full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks. Abbreviations containing full stops can inflate the count slightly.