Word Counter
Free word counter that updates as you type: words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, lines, reading and speaking time. Private, runs in your browser.
How to use Word Counter
- 1Type or paste your text, or open a .txt file.
- 2Watch the word, character, sentence, paragraph and line counts update as you type.
- 3Copy the summary or download it as a text file.
What makes it better
- Counts update live while you type
- Characters with and without spaces
- Sentences, paragraphs and lines
- Reading and speaking time estimates
- Longest word and average word length
About Word Counter
Paste or type your text and the Word Counter shows words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and lines straight away. It also estimates how long the text takes to read silently (238 words per minute) and to speak aloud (150 words per minute), and points out your longest word.
Common uses
- Check an essay or assignment against a minimum or maximum word count.
- Keep a blog post, newsletter or product description to a target length.
- Estimate how long a speech or video script will take to deliver.
- Count words in a pasted section of a document without opening Word.
Example
Input
Text tools should be quick and private. Paste a draft here and the counts update as you type. Reading time is estimated at 238 words per minute.
Result
Words: 27 Characters: 145 Characters (no spaces): 118 Sentences: 3 Paragraphs: 2 Lines: 3 Reading time: 7 sec Speaking time: 11 sec
Good to know
- A word is a run of letters or digits, so “well-known” and “don’t” count as one word each; numbers count as words too.
- Counting follows spaces and punctuation, so languages written without spaces between words (such as Chinese or Japanese) are not split into words accurately.
- Reading and speaking times are averages. Technical or dense text usually takes longer than the estimate.
Word Counter FAQ
How do I count words in Word compared with here?
Microsoft Word shows its count in the status bar and under Review > Word Count. This page gives the same kind of figure for any text you paste, and adds sentences, paragraphs, reading time and speaking time. Small differences can appear because tools treat hyphens, slashes and numbers slightly differently.
Does the count include spaces?
Both are shown. “Characters” includes spaces and line breaks, and “No spaces” leaves them out. Emoji and accented letters count as one character each.
How is reading time calculated?
Word count divided by 238 words per minute for silent reading, and by 150 words per minute for speaking. To use a different speed, open the Reading time view and change the numbers.
How are sentences and paragraphs counted?
Sentences end at a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or similar, followed by a space or new paragraph. A paragraph is a block of text separated from the next by at least one blank line.
Is my text stored anywhere?
No. The counting happens in your browser, so nothing you paste leaves your device.