Word Counter

Paste or type your text below to instantly count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs — plus get reading and speaking time estimates. Everything runs in your browser.

Your text never leaves your browser — no servers, no storage
Type or paste your text
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About this tool

A word count checker that actually keeps up with you

Most writing tasks come with a target — an essay limit, a tweet budget, a meta description cap, a job application form. Knowing your word count shouldn't require opening a desktop app or pasting into a bloated web tool loaded with ads. This word counter is built to be fast and distraction-free: results update the moment you type or paste, with no button to click and no page to reload.

Beyond simple word counting, you get character counts (with and without spaces), sentence and paragraph counts, estimated reading and speaking times, unique word totals, and a configurable word-limit tracker — all from a single text box.

What's included

Everything you need to check word count and more

Live Word Count

The word count updates with every keystroke. No lag, no waiting, no button to press.

Word & Character Count

See character count with spaces and without — useful for character-limited fields like SEO meta tags.

Reading & Speaking Time

Estimated at 238 wpm for reading and 130 wpm for speaking — sensible defaults for real-world use.

Sentence & Paragraph Count

Useful for readability checks — spotting walls of text or run-on sentences before you publish.

Word Limit Tracker

Set a custom word limit and watch the progress bar fill — turns red as you approach the cap.

100% Private

All counting happens in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, logged, or shared with anyone.

How it works

Using the online word counter

Paste or type your text

Click inside the text area and paste from your clipboard, or type directly. There's no character limit, so large documents work fine too.

Read your stats instantly

Word count, character count, sentences, paragraphs, unique words, and time estimates all update in real time — right below the input.

Set a word limit (optional)

Enter a target word count in the limit field. The progress bar shows how close you are and turns orange as you near the cap.

Copy or clear

Use the Copy Stats button to grab a plain-text summary of all your counts. Hit Clear to reset the tool for the next piece of text.

Who uses this

Common reasons people count words online

Students & Essays Check your essay word count before submitting to make sure you're within the assignment limits.
Content Writers Hit target lengths for blog posts, articles, or landing pages without guesswork.
SEO & Meta Copy Count characters in titles and meta descriptions to stay within search engine display limits.
Social Media Check post length for platforms that cap characters, like LinkedIn summaries or email subject lines.
Speechwriters Use speaking time to estimate how long your script will run at a natural speaking pace.
Job Applications Many online forms cap cover letter fields at a word or character count — verify before you paste.
Translators Calculate word counts for quoting translation projects or billing by the word.
Email & Newsletters Trim subject lines and preview text to the right length without switching apps.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does this word counter work?
Paste or type your text into the box at the top of the page. The counter updates instantly as you type — no button to press. It shows word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentence count, paragraph count, unique word count, and estimated reading and speaking times.
Is my text stored or sent to a server?
No. Every calculation runs locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never uploaded, saved, or sent anywhere. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet — the tool still works.
Does the character count include spaces?
Both options are shown. The "Characters" stat includes spaces and punctuation; "No Spaces" shows only non-whitespace characters. This covers requirements like those from Twitter or SMS tools that count differently.
How is reading time estimated?
Reading time is calculated at 238 words per minute, which reflects average adult silent reading speed based on published research. Speaking time uses 130 wpm — a comfortable, clear speaking pace for presentations or voiceovers. Both are estimates; actual times vary by reader and content complexity.
Can I use this as an essay word counter?
Yes. Paste your essay into the text area and your word count appears immediately. If your assignment has a specific limit (say, 1,000 words), enter that in the word limit field and the progress bar will track your usage.
Is there a maximum text length?
There's no enforced limit. The tool processes text in your browser's memory, so it handles large documents well. Very long texts (think 100,000+ words) may show a brief delay depending on your device, but typical documents and essays process instantly.
How do I count characters in Word or a document editor?
If you're looking for how to count characters in a document you already have open in another app, the quickest method is to copy the text and paste it here. This word counter shows character count with and without spaces immediately, which is often easier than navigating to the statistics panel inside your editor.
What counts as a sentence?
Sentences are detected by common end punctuation: periods, exclamation marks, and question marks. Abbreviations and decimals can occasionally produce a slightly higher count than expected — this is a known limitation of rule-based sentence detection and affects all browser-based tools.