Word Counter
Paste or type your text below to get an instant word count, character count, sentence count and estimated reading time. Everything updates as you type — nothing is uploaded.
How to use the word counter
Type directly into the box above, or paste text from a document, email or webpage. The counts update automatically with every keystroke — there's no "count" button to click. Reading time is estimated at an average adult reading speed of 200 words per minute, so you can gauge how long an article or speech will take to get through.
Why word count matters
Essays & assignments
Most academic assignments specify a minimum or maximum word count. Checking as you write, rather than after you've finished, saves a last-minute scramble to cut or pad your draft.
SEO content
Search-focused articles are often written to a target length so they can cover a topic in enough depth to rank. A live counter lets you track progress against that target without leaving your editor.
Character-limited posts
Platforms like X (Twitter) and SMS have strict character caps. The "characters" stat tells you exactly how much room you have left, including spaces.
Scripts & speeches
Reading time estimates help speakers and video creators judge how long a script will actually take to deliver out loud.
Frequently asked questions
How is a "word" counted?
A word is any sequence of characters separated by whitespace. Hyphenated terms like "well-known" count as one word; em-dash separated clauses count as two.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is estimated by dividing the total word count by 200 words per minute, a commonly used average adult silent-reading speed, then rounded to the nearest sensible unit.
How are sentences and paragraphs counted?
Sentences are counted by splitting text on ".", "!" and "?" characters. Paragraphs are counted by splitting on blank lines (double line breaks).
Is there a limit to how much text I can paste in?
No hard limit is enforced, but very large documents (hundreds of thousands of words) may feel slower to update live in older browsers.