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Word Counter

Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs in your text instantly. Free word counter also estimates reading time for essays and articles.

About this tool

Essays, job applications, social posts and articles all come with limits: 500 words, 280 characters, two pages. Going over or under can cost marks, get a post cut off or break a layout. Counting by hand is nobody's idea of fun.

Our free word counter analyzes your text instantly. Paste it in and press Count to see words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and an estimated reading time, all in one glance.

How to use

Paste or type your text into the box and press the Count button. The results appear below immediately. Edit the text and press Count again to update the numbers.

There is no upload and no waiting: everything is analyzed inside your browser, so long documents are handled in a blink and your text never leaves your device.

The math behind it

Words are counted by splitting the text on whitespace, so multiple spaces and line breaks never inflate the count. Sentences are detected by looking for groups of text ending in a period, exclamation mark or question mark. Paragraphs are blocks separated by blank lines.

Reading time assumes an average adult speed of 200 words per minute. Technical or dense text may take longer in practice, so treat it as a friendly estimate.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a word in this counter?
Anything separated by spaces counts as one word. Contractions like “don't” and hyphenated words like “well-known” each count as one word, matching how most editors count.
Why does Microsoft Word show a different word count?
Different programs use different rules — Word may include text boxes and footnotes, or count hyphenated words differently. Small differences on edge cases are normal, not an error.
Is my text uploaded or stored anywhere?
No. All counting happens in your browser with JavaScript — your text is never sent to a server, stored or logged.
How is reading time calculated?
By dividing your word count by an average reading speed of about 200 words per minute — the standard estimate used across most word counters.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes, both. You'll see characters with spaces and characters without spaces, plus sentences, paragraphs and reading time.

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