ToolLaunchpadHow to use the word counter
Paste or type into the box. Every number updates instantly while you type, so you can keep the page open next to your draft and watch the count as you edit. Nothing is saved: if you reload the page, the text is gone, so keep your original in your editor.
The default reading speed is 238 words per minute, a commonly cited average for silent reading of non-fiction by adults. If you write for a technical audience or for children, lower it; for skimmable marketing copy you can raise it. The speaking time uses 150 words per minute, a typical pace for presentations and voice-overs.
How each number is counted
| Metric | Rule |
|---|---|
| Words | Runs of letters or digits. Hyphenated words and contractions such as well-known and don't count as one word. Works for accented letters and non-Latin alphabets. |
| Characters | Every character including spaces and line breaks. Emoji count as one character each, even though some take two code units in JavaScript. |
| Characters without spaces | All characters except spaces, tabs and line breaks. |
| Sentences | Text segments ending in ., !, ? or an ellipsis, plus a final segment without punctuation. |
| Paragraphs | Blocks separated by at least one empty line. |
Worked example
The text "It's a well-known fact. Short sentences help!" gives 7 words (It's and well-known count once each), 45 characters, 39 characters without spaces, 2 sentences and 1 paragraph.
Common limits writers check
- Meta descriptions: search engines usually show about 150–160 characters.
- Page titles: roughly 50–60 characters before they get cut off in results.
- Short social posts: many platforms cap posts by characters, so use the "Characters" figure, which includes spaces.
- Essays and applications: limits are usually in words. Check whether your institution counts headings, references and footnotes.
Why counts differ between tools
Different programs disagree on edge cases, so a small difference from a word processor is normal. The main sources of disagreement are:
- Numbers like 3.5 or 2026-10-17, which some tools count as one word and others split.
- Symbols like & or a lone dash, which this tool does not count as words.
- Abbreviations such as e.g. or Dr., which can be counted as extra sentence endings by any rule-based sentence counter, including this one.
- Emoji and combined characters, which some tools count as two or more characters.
If a submission system enforces a hard limit, treat its counter as the final word and leave yourself a small margin.
Frequently asked questions
Is my text stored or uploaded?
No. The counting happens in your browser with JavaScript. The text is never sent to a server and disappears when you close or reload the page.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is the word count divided by the reading speed, which defaults to 238 words per minute. You can change the speed in the field below the results.
Do hyphenated words count as one word?
Yes. Words joined by a hyphen or an apostrophe, such as well-known or don't, are counted as a single word.
Why is my word count different from Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
Tools treat numbers, symbols, dashes and abbreviations differently. Differences of a few words in a long text are normal. If a hard limit applies, rely on the counter of the system that enforces it.
Does the character count include spaces?
The tool shows both. Characters includes spaces and line breaks, and characters without spaces excludes all whitespace.