Word Counter

Type or paste your text to count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs instantly – plus reading and speaking time.

Word Counter at a glance

Price: Free
Account: Not needed
Watermark: None
Privacy: Files are processed inside your browser and are never uploaded.
Works on: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone – in any modern browser
Install: Nothing to install

Live countsWords, characters, sentences, paragraphs and lines update the moment you type.

Limit checkerEnter a character or word limit and see straight away how many are left or how many to cut.

Most used wordsSpot words you repeat too often – handy for essays, blog posts and SEO.

How to use Word Counter

Type in the box, paste your text, or open a .txt file.
Read the counts at the top – they change as you write.
Optional: add a character or word limit to check that your text fits.

Who uses a word counter?

Students check essays and assignments against a word limit. Writers and bloggers keep articles to a target length. Freelancers count words to price translation and writing work. Social media managers make sure a post or caption fits the platform before publishing.

Common limits

X (Twitter) post: 280 characters
Instagram caption: 2,200 characters
YouTube description: 5,000 characters
Meta description for SEO: about 150–160 characters
SMS message: 160 characters

How reading time is worked out

Reading time assumes about 230 words per minute, the pace of an average adult reading silently. Speaking time assumes about 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a speech, video or voice-over.

Text too long for a limit? Cut it into parts with the Text Splitter. Need the text from a PDF first? Use PDF to Text.

Typical limits

Tweets 280 characters, meta descriptions about 155 characters, Instagram captions 2,200 characters.
University essays are often 1,500–3,000 words; Fiverr and Upwork descriptions have character limits too.
A minute of speech is about 130–150 words – useful for YouTube scripts and voiceovers.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Word Counter free?

Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up and updates the counts instantly as you type or paste.

How are words counted?

Anything separated by a space or a new line counts as one word, so the count works for English, Urdu, Hindi, Arabic and most other languages.

Are spaces counted as characters?

The main character count includes spaces and line breaks, like most apps. The “Characters (no spaces)” box shows the count without them – some forms and assignments ask for that number.

How is a sentence counted?

A sentence ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark, including the Urdu ۔ and Hindi । marks.

How is reading time worked out?

Reading time is based on an average adult reading speed of about 200–250 words per minute. Speaking time for speeches and voice-overs is slower, around 130 words per minute.

Is my text saved or uploaded?

No. Counting happens in your browser and your text is never sent to us.

Guides for this tool

Ebooks & WritingHow Long Should a Blog Post, Essay or Caption Be? A Word Count Guide

Sensible word counts for blog posts, essays, cover letters, captions and speeches, how reading and speaking time are worked out, and how to hit a limit without padding or cutting meaning.

9 min read

Ebooks & Writing"Markdown to PDF: Write in Plain Text, Get a Beautiful Document"

Learn the basics of Markdown in five minutes and turn notes, guides and README files into clean, well-formatted PDFs with headings, lists, tables and code.