Word Counter
Paste any text to count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs, with an estimated reading time — updating as you write.
Statistics
Reading time assumes an average silent-reading pace of about 200 words per minute; actual pace varies with the reader and the material.
Why word and character counts matter
Almost every kind of writing comes with a limit or a target. Essays and reports have word ranges, meta descriptions and social posts have character caps, and a talk has a length measured in reading minutes. Keeping the count in view as you draft makes it easier to write to the shape a piece actually needs.
The character-without-spaces figure is the one to watch for strict limits, since many platforms count every visible character. The reading-time estimate is handy for pacing a speech or gauging whether an article is a quick read or a long one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the word counter define a word?
A word is any run of characters separated by spaces or line breaks. The text is trimmed and split on whitespace, so double spaces and blank lines don't inflate the count. Hyphenated compounds like "well-known" count as one word.
What's the difference between the two character counts?
"Characters" counts everything you typed, including spaces, tabs, and line breaks. "Characters (no spaces)" removes all whitespace first, which is the number that usually matters for tight character limits.
How are sentences and paragraphs counted?
Sentences are counted from runs of terminal punctuation — a period, question mark, or exclamation point (or several in a row) ends one sentence. Paragraphs are non-empty blocks separated by line breaks. Both are heuristics, so unusual formatting or abbreviations can nudge the count.
How is reading time estimated?
Reading time divides your word count by an average silent-reading pace of about 200 words per minute. It's a rough guide: skimming is faster, and dense or technical material is slower.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. The counting happens in your browser as you type. Nothing you paste in is uploaded, logged, or stored — refresh the page and it's gone.
Estimates and heuristics — sentence, paragraph, and reading-time figures are approximations meant as a helper, not an authority. For a hard limit, confirm against the counter your submission system uses.