Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time as you type.
About the Word Counter
This free word counter gives you a live tally of words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading time as you type or paste. Whether you're keeping an essay under a limit, trimming a meta description, or checking how long a blog post takes to read, the numbers update instantly with no button to press.
It's popular with students hitting assignment word counts, writers and marketers shaping copy to fit, and anyone working against a character limit on social media or a form. The tool runs entirely in your browser, so even long documents stay fast and your text is never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
It splits your text on whitespace and counts each non-empty chunk as a word, the same way most editors do. Numbers and words joined by hyphens or apostrophes (like "well-known" or "don't") count as a single word.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes. It shows the total character count including spaces and a separate count excluding spaces, which is handy for character limits on social posts and forms.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is estimated at about 200 words per minute, a common average for adult silent reading. It updates live as you type.
Is my text private?
Completely. The word counter runs entirely in your browser — your text is never uploaded or stored anywhere.