Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs.
More than a simple word count
Paste or type your text to see the number of words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences and paragraphs, plus an estimated reading and speaking time. Writers, students, bloggers and social-media managers use word counts to meet length limits and to judge whether a piece is too short or too long.
How the numbers are worked out
- Words are groups of characters separated by spaces or line breaks.
- Characters are counted both with and without spaces, since limits differ between platforms.
- Reading time assumes an average adult reads about 200–250 words per minute, so a 1,000-word article takes about 4–5 minutes.
- Speaking time assumes roughly 130–150 words per minute, useful for planning a speech or a voice-over.
Typical length targets
- Tweet or X post: 280 characters
- Meta description for search results: about 150–160 characters
- Blog post: commonly 800–2,000 words depending on topic depth
- College essay: usually 250–650 words depending on the prompt
Frequently asked questions
Why does my word processor show a different count?
Different programs treat hyphenated words, numbers, URLs and symbols differently, so small differences are normal. If you have a strict limit, check with the tool the recipient uses.
Is my text saved?
No. The counting happens in your browser and your text is not uploaded.