Word Counter is a free tool that counts the words, characters, sentences and paragraphs in any text as you type. It runs entirely in your browser: your text is not uploaded or saved, and no account is needed.
How to count words in your text
- Type in the box above, or paste text from a document, email or web page.
- The counts update instantly as you write or edit.
- Use Copy text to take your text back out, or Clear to start again.
What each number means
- Words: anything made of letters or numbers. "Don't" and "e-mail" count as one word each.
- Characters: every letter, number, space, punctuation mark and line break.
- Characters without spaces: the same, but ignoring spaces, tabs and line breaks.
- Sentences: split at full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, using the rules for your language.
- Paragraphs: blocks of text separated by an empty line.
- Reading time: how long the text takes to read silently, at about 238 words per minute.
Common uses
- Staying within the word limit for an essay, application or assignment.
- Checking character limits before posting, for example social media posts, text messages or meta descriptions.
- Estimating how long a speech or presentation will take to deliver.
- Counting text in languages such as Chinese or Japanese, where words are not separated by spaces.
Good to know
Different programs count slightly differently. Like Microsoft Word, this tool counts "well-known" as one word, but Word also counts standalone symbols such as "&" or "–" as words, so its total can be a little higher on long documents. Emoji, and letters with accents, count as a single character here, which matches what you see on screen.
To fix capitalisation, use the Case Converter; to tidy spacing in text copied from a PDF, use Remove Extra Spaces. Writing a README or blog post in Markdown? The Markdown Previewer shows the word count and reading time as you write.
Frequently asked questions
Is my text saved or sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser as you type. The text is not uploaded, stored or logged, and it disappears when you close the page.
Does it count characters with or without spaces?
Both. "Characters" includes spaces and line breaks; "Characters without spaces" leaves them out. Emoji and accented letters count as one character each.
Does it work for languages without spaces, like Chinese or Japanese?
Yes. Words are found using your browser's built-in language rules rather than by splitting on spaces, so text in Chinese, Japanese and Thai is counted correctly.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time assumes 238 words per minute, a typical silent reading speed for adults. Speaking time assumes 150 words per minute.
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