Word Counter
Paste or type and the counts update as you go: words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, reading time and speaking time. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How to use this tool
- 1Paste or type your text into the box.
- 2Read the counts above it — they update with every keystroke.
- 3Check reading time against your limit: a talk, a post, an assignment.
- 4Use the readability score to see whether the sentences are running long.
- Words
- 0
- Characters
- 0
- Without spaces
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 sec
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
- Readability
- –
Why the count matters
Nearly every piece of writing has a limit somewhere: a 500-word essay, a 160-character text message, a 60-character title, a 20-minute talk. A count you can see while you write is cheaper than a count you discover after you have finished, because you can trim as you go instead of cutting a paragraph you liked.
Words, pages and time
If what you actually need is pages, use the page count calculator: it turns a word count into pages for a given font, size and spacing, and back again. The reading and speaking times here use the same speeds as that tool, so the two agree.
What the tool does not do
It does not check spelling or grammar, and it does not count footnotes separately. If your assignment excludes references from the word count, paste the body text on its own.
Frequently asked questions
How does it count words?
Anything between two spaces or line breaks counts as a word, so "well-known" is one word and "well known" is two. Numbers count as words. This matches how Microsoft Word and Google Docs count, so the figure will agree with what your teacher or editor sees.
Characters with or without spaces — which one do I need?
Most limits that say "characters" mean with spaces: a tweet, a meta description, a form field. Some translation and typesetting jobs are priced on characters without spaces. The tool shows both so you can use whichever the brief asks for.
How is reading time worked out?
At 225 words a minute, which is a typical silent reading speed for an adult reading something they understand. Speaking time uses 130 words a minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or a voice-over. Technical material is slower; skimming is faster.
What is the readability score?
Flesch reading ease, from 0 to 100. Higher is easier. Most newspapers sit between 50 and 70; academic writing is often under 30. It is driven by sentence length and syllables per word, so the quickest way to raise it is to cut long sentences in half.
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