Word Counter
Word and character limits are everywhere: essay briefs, meta descriptions, bios, abstracts, application forms. This tool counts as you type so you can see where you stand without pasting into a word processor.
Alongside words and characters it reports sentences, paragraphs, average word length, and estimated reading and speaking time, which is useful when you are writing to a length rather than a hard limit. The sentence and paragraph counts are based on simple punctuation and line-break rules rather than real language parsing, so see Things worth knowing for where that can mislead you.
Runs in your browser. Word Counter processes your input on your own device. Nothing you enter or upload is sent to a server.
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(opens in a new tab)How to use the Word Counter
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Read the eight stats, which update as you edit.
- Select Copy Stats to copy all eight figures as text, or keep editing until the text fits the limit you are working to.
All eight stats, and how each is calculated
| Stat | How it's calculated |
|---|---|
| Words | The text is trimmed, then split on runs of whitespace. Empty input counts as 0. |
| Characters (with spaces) | The full length of what you typed, including spaces and line breaks. |
| Characters (no spaces) | The same text with every whitespace character removed. |
| Sentences | The text is split on runs of ., ! or ?; empty fragments are discarded. |
| Paragraphs | The text is split on blank lines; empty fragments are discarded. |
| Average word length | Characters without spaces divided by the word count, to one decimal place. |
| Reading time | Word count รท 200 words per minute, rounded up to the next whole minute. |
| Speaking time | Word count รท 150 words per minute, rounded up to the next whole minute. |
Where the naive sentence count overshoots
Splitting on punctuation alone cannot tell an abbreviation or a decimal point from the end of a sentence, so both inflate the count.
An abbreviation and a decimal number, each read as a sentence end
Input
Dr. Smith has 3.14 reasons to leave.
Output
Sentences: 3
Things worth knowing
- Sentence counting is a simple split on ., ! and ?, so abbreviations such as "Dr." and decimal numbers such as "3.14" are each counted as an extra sentence break.
- Paragraph counting looks only for a blank line between blocks of text; a single line break within a block does not start a new paragraph.
- Reading and speaking time come from fixed words-per-minute figures, not from the actual complexity of your text.
- If you need the text in a different case afterwards, the Case Converter and Remove Line Breaks tools both accept plain pasted text the same way this one does.
Frequently asked questions
Does it count characters with or without spaces?
Both figures are shown, because different platforms measure differently. Social character limits usually include spaces; some form fields do not.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. The counting happens in your browser as you type. Nothing is transmitted and nothing is saved.
How are reading and speaking time estimated?
Reading time divides the word count by 200 words per minute; speaking time divides it by 150 words per minute. Both round up to the next whole minute, so even a handful of words shows as 1m rather than 0m. Treat both as rough guides: actual reading and speaking pace vary a lot with how dense the material is.
How are sentences and paragraphs counted?
Sentences are counted by splitting the text wherever a run of one or more ., ! or ? appears, so an ellipsis or a "?!" counts as a single break rather than several. Paragraphs are counted by splitting on a blank line (one or more line breaks) between blocks of text. Neither check understands language, so see Things worth knowing for cases where the counts overshoot.