Free word counter
Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs as you type. See reading time, a readability score and repeated words, and check any length limit.
- Free for everyone
- No signup needed
- Works on any device
How to use
- Type or paste your text into the box. Every count updates as you type.
- Read the counts, the reading and speaking time, and the readability score with your longest sentence.
- To check a limit, choose a common one such as 280 characters or 500 words, or enter your own.
- Optionally find and replace words, change the case or remove extra spaces, then copy your text.
Examples
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
9 words, 44 characters with spaces and 36 without, in 1 sentence.
An essay with a 500-word limit
Choose “Custom word limit”, enter 500 and paste your essay. The counter shows how many words are left, or how many to cut if you are over.
A post for X (Twitter)
Choose the X preset to see how many of the 280 characters are left while you write.
Make an article easier to read
Paste it and check the readability score. If it is below 60, look at the longest sentence shown, split it in two and watch the score go up.
Limitations
- Websites count slightly differently. Some count line breaks or emoji as two characters, so leave a small margin under strict limits.
- Reading time assumes 238 words per minute and speaking time 130 words per minute, which are averages. Your pace may differ.
- Sentence detection follows punctuation, so abbreviations such as "e.g." can occasionally be counted as a sentence end.
- The readability score is a guide based on sentence and word length. It does not judge grammar, tone or meaning, and it needs at least 30 words.
- Very long texts (several hundred thousand words) may update more slowly on older phones.
Privacy
This tool works entirely in your browser. What you type is not sent to our servers, and it is not stored after you close the page unless the tool offers to keep it and you turn that on. Read our privacy notice.
Troubleshooting
My word count is different from Microsoft Word or Google Docs
Programs treat hyphenated words, numbers and symbols differently. We count each run of letters or digits as a word, so "well-known" counts as two words, as in many other counters. The difference is usually only a few words.
A website says my text is longer than the character count shown here
Some sites count an emoji or a line break as two characters, or count every link as a fixed length. Leave a little room below their limit.
My text disappeared when I came back
Text is only kept if you turn on Keep my text on this device. Without it, nothing is saved, for your privacy.
Questions and answers
How do I count the words in my text?
Paste or type your text into the box. The word count appears immediately, along with characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
How many characters are allowed in a post on X (Twitter)?
Standard accounts can post up to 280 characters. Choose the X (Twitter) limit and the counter shows how many characters you have left.
How many pages is 500 words?
About one page single-spaced or two pages double-spaced, using a 12-point font. 1,000 words is about two pages single-spaced.
What is a good readability score?
On the Flesch reading ease scale, 60 to 70 is plain language that most adults read easily and 80 or more is very easy. Academic writing often scores below 30. Shorter sentences and words raise the score.
Can I find and replace words?
Yes. Open Find and replace, type the word and its replacement, and select Replace all. The number of matches is shown first, and Undo brings your text back.
Do spaces count as characters?
Usually yes. Most websites, forms and social networks count spaces, so the main character count includes them. We also show the count without spaces.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser. Your text is not uploaded, and it is only stored on your device if you choose to keep it.
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