Word & Character Counter
Paste or type text to see a live word count, character count, sentence count and estimated reading time.
How the counts are calculated
Words are counted by splitting on whitespace, so a hyphenated term counts once and multiple spaces don't inflate the total. Sentences are estimated from punctuation that typically ends one — periods, question marks and exclamation points — which works well for ordinary prose but can undercount text full of abbreviations or ellipses. Reading time assumes roughly 200 words per minute, a common average for adult silent reading.
Common uses
- Meeting a word count for an essay, article, or job application
- Staying inside a character limit for a bio, meta description, or social post
- Estimating how long a script or speech will take to deliver
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the word count?
It counts whitespace-separated chunks of text, which matches how Microsoft Word and Google Docs count words for ordinary prose. Hyphenated words count as one word; standalone punctuation doesn't count as a word.
Does this count characters with or without spaces?
Both — the result shows total characters including spaces, with the without-spaces count shown alongside it, since character limits (like social media posts) sometimes specify one or the other.
How is reading time estimated?
Reading time assumes about 200 words per minute, a commonly cited average adult silent-reading speed. Actual reading time varies with text difficulty and the reader, so treat it as a rough guide.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No — everything is counted directly in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you type or paste is sent to a server.