About the Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs in any text, updating as you type. Character limits govern meta descriptions, social posts, form fields and academic submissions, and word counts govern most editorial briefs. Counting happens in your browser, so drafts and unpublished work stay private.
How to use the Word Counter
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Paste or type your text
Every statistic recalculates on each keystroke — there is no submit step.
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Read the counts
See words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs at once, alongside an estimated reading time.
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Edit against your target
Trim or expand the text while watching the count, rather than checking after each revision.
When to use it
Meeting an editorial word count
Track progress against a commissioned length while writing.
Fitting a character limit
Keep a meta description, social post or form field inside the limit its platform enforces.
Estimating reading time
Get an approximate read duration to publish alongside an article.
Frequently asked questions
How is a word counted?
As a sequence of characters separated by whitespace. Hyphenated compounds count as one word, which can differ slightly from another tool applying a different rule.
Which character count should I use for a limit?
It depends on the platform. Most social networks and meta description limits count characters including spaces; some form validators exclude them. The tool shows both.
How is reading time calculated?
From the word count at a typical adult silent reading speed of roughly 200 to 250 words per minute. It is an estimate — dense technical text reads considerably slower.
Is my text stored or uploaded?
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser and the text is never transmitted.
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