Word Counter – Count Words, Characters and Reading Time
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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
About Word & Character Counter
Paste or type your text and the counts update as you go: words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and roughly how long it takes to read aloud.
Word and character limits are everywhere — essays, application forms, meta descriptions, social posts, cover letters. Writing straight into a box that only tells you when you have gone over is frustrating; this shows the numbers continuously while you edit.
Character counts are given both with and without spaces, because different limits mean different things. A 280-character social limit counts spaces; some application forms do not. Reading time is estimated at a normal speaking pace, which is the useful figure for a talk or a script.
What you can use it for
- Keep an essay or assignment within a set word count.
- Check a meta description or title fits inside a search-result limit.
- Fit a personal statement or cover letter into a character limit.
- Estimate how long a script or speech will take to read aloud.
- Count words in a translation or transcript for billing.
How it works, step by step
- 1
Paste or type your text
Drop your text into the box. Nothing is sent anywhere.
- 2
Watch the counts update
Words, characters, sentences and paragraphs update live as you edit.
- 3
Check characters with and without spaces
Both figures are shown, since different limits count spaces differently.
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Use the reading time
The estimate is based on a normal reading pace, useful for talks and scripts.
Frequently asked questions
How are words counted?
By splitting on whitespace, which is what word processors and most graders do. Hyphenated words count as one, and numbers count as words.
Does the character count include spaces?
Both figures are shown. Use the with-spaces number for social media and most online limits, and the without-spaces number where a form specifies it.
How is reading time estimated?
From the word count at a typical reading pace. Treat it as a guide — actual pace varies a lot with material and speaker.
Is there a limit on how much text I can paste?
No fixed limit. Because it runs in your browser, very large documents are limited only by your device's memory.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is counted in your browser. Your text is never sent to a server, which makes it safe for confidential drafts.