Word counter
Paste or type your text to count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs. You also see how long it takes to read or say aloud, and which words you lean on most.
Free, no sign-up. Runs in your browser. Nothing you type or upload is sent to us or stored.
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How to use it
- Paste your text in the box, or start typing.
- Read the counts as they update.
- Check the longest sentence and your most used words to see what to trim.
What gets counted
You get the number of words, sentences and paragraphs, and the number of characters twice: with spaces and without. Some forms, briefs and publishers ask for one and some for the other, so both are there. Everything updates as you type, so you can watch the count fall as you edit.
Chinese, Japanese and Thai don't put spaces between words, so splitting on spaces would count a whole sentence as one word. For those languages the counter uses your browser's own word segmentation, which splits text into words the way a dictionary would. It's a good estimate rather than an exact rule, since even native speakers sometimes disagree on where a word ends.
Reading and speaking time
Reading time is based on about 238 words per minute, a common estimate for adults reading non-fiction silently. Speaking time uses about 150 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk, a podcast or a video script. Your own pace may be faster or slower, so treat both as a guide and time yourself on a practice run if it matters.
Making your writing easier to read
The average sentence length tells you how much work each sentence asks of the reader. If it creeps well past 20 words, try splitting a few long ones in two. The counter shows your longest sentence, which is usually the best place to start.
The most used words list leaves out common words like "the", "and" and "of", so what's left is the vocabulary you actually chose. If one word shows up far more than the rest, it may be a word you repeat without noticing. Swap a few for something more specific, or cut them.
Word limits
Essays, job applications, grant forms and conference abstracts often set a word limit. Different tools can count the same text slightly differently, mostly around hyphens, numbers and symbols, so leave a little room under the limit rather than writing right up to it.
Your text is counted in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent to us or saved.
Questions
How is reading time worked out?
Your word count is divided by about 238 words per minute, a common average for silent reading. Speaking time uses about 150 words per minute.
Does it count characters with or without spaces?
Both. The counter shows characters with spaces and without, so you can use whichever your form or brief asks for.
Does it work for Chinese or Japanese text?
Yes. It uses your browser's word segmentation for languages without spaces, so the count is a sensible estimate rather than one word per sentence.
Why are some words missing from the most used list?
Common words like "the", "a" and "and" are left out so the list shows the words that say something about your writing.
Is my text stored?
No. The counting happens in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.