Word counter
Paste your text and see the number of words straight away, along with characters, lines, sentences, paragraphs and how long it takes to read.
- Words
- 0
- Characters (with spaces)
- 0
- Characters without spaces
- 0
- Lines
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Reading time
- 0
- Speaking time
- 0
How it works
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Paste your text
Type or paste your text in the box, or open a .txt file.
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Counted straight away
Characters, words, lines, sentences and paragraphs are counted as you type.
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Read the result
The estimated reading and speaking time are shown too.
How words are counted
A word is a run of letters and digits. An apostrophe or hyphen between letters keeps a word together, so don't and well-known count as one word each. Numbers count as words, and punctuation on its own doesn't. Under the main figure you see how many different words there are, a quick indication of repetition.
Reading time is worked out at 230 words per minute and speaking time at 130, which is useful for speeches and videos: a 5-minute talk is about 650 words.
Word limits
Essays, articles, abstracts and ads often have word limits. Use the counter to stay within them, and open a .txt file straight into it. For character limits, use the character counter.
Frequently asked questions
Is the word counter free?
Yes. The word counter is completely free, with no account, sign-up or usage limit.
How are characters counted?
The way you see them: a letter with an accent or an emoji counts as one character. Spaces and line breaks count as "characters", but not as "characters without spaces".
What counts as a word?
A run of letters or digits. Words with a hyphen or apostrophe (don't, well-known) count as one word.
Is my text stored?
No. Your text is counted in your browser and is not sent to a server or stored.