Word Counter: what it does
Paste or type any text to count its words and characters live. Below the count you get the numbers teachers, editors and clients actually ask for: characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, reading and speaking time, average word length and your longest sentence. Set a word goal for an essay or an application answer and watch the bar fill up, or set a maximum and see exactly how many words to cut. Keyword density shows the words and two-word phrases you repeat most, which helps with SEO writing and with spotting overused words. Select part of the text to count just that part. Words are counted the way Microsoft Word and Google Docs count them: “don’t” and “e-mail” are one word each, and Chinese, Japanese and Thai text is split into real words, not runs of characters.
How to use it
- Type or paste your text into the box. Your draft stays in this browser only.
- Read the word and character counts, reading time and the rest of the numbers as you type.
- Optionally set a word goal (at least or at most) and select part of the text to count just that part.
- Check keyword density for repeated words, then copy the text.
Tips
- Reading time uses 238 words per minute, the average adult silent reading speed found by a 2019 review of 190 studies. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a calm presentation pace.
- For a speech, aim for about 130 words per minute of speaking: a 5-minute talk is roughly 650 words.
- Sentences over 25 words are hard to follow. Check “Longest sentence” and split the long ones.
- In SEO writing, a main keyword at 1–2% density reads naturally. Much higher starts to sound repetitive to readers and to Google.
- University word limits usually exclude the reference list but include headings and in-text citations. Check your course rules.
- Your text is kept in this browser only and shared with the character counters, so you can check a caption’s words here and its platform limits there without pasting twice.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
A word is a run of letters or numbers. Apostrophes and hyphens inside a word keep it together, so “don’t”, “mother-in-law” and “COVID-19” count as one word each, the same way Microsoft Word and Google Docs count them. Numbers count as words. Punctuation and emoji on their own do not.
Why is my count different from Microsoft Word?
Usually by one or two words, because of dashes and symbols. Word counts “—” between spaces as a word in some versions, and counts “&” or a lone “-” as words. We count only runs of letters and numbers, which is what most editors and universities expect.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes, both. “Characters” includes spaces and line breaks; “Characters (no spaces)” leaves out every kind of whitespace. Emoji and accented letters count as one character each.
How is reading time calculated?
Words divided by 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction in English. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute. Technical text or a slow speaker will take longer.
Does it work for other languages?
Yes. Any language that puts spaces between words (Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, Russian…) is counted directly, and Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Lao, Khmer and Burmese are split into words with your browser’s built-in language rules.
Is my text saved or sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Your draft is kept only in this browser so it survives a refresh; “Clear” empties it, and the privacy page can delete everything the site stored.