Word counter

Paste your text to count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs — and see how long it takes to read or say out loud.

Free, no sign-up

Before you use it

Works well for

  • Essays and forms with word or character limits
  • Captions, meta descriptions and ad copy
  • Estimating reading and speaking time

Not the right tool for

  • Official counts for academic work — rules on numbers and citations vary
  • Languages written without spaces, like Chinese or Japanese

What it counts

  • Words — sequences of letters or numbers, including hyphenated words and contractions.
  • Characters, with and without spaces — what most forms and social networks limit.
  • Reading time at about 238 words per minute, the average for adults reading non-fiction silently.
  • Speaking time at about 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for talks and videos.

Handy for

Essays and applications with word limits, meta descriptions, ad copy, video scripts and presentations. The "most repeated" line helps you catch words you're overusing.

Private by design

Your text is counted in your browser and never uploaded. A draft is kept in this browser so you don't lose it on refresh — press Clear to remove it.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a meta description be?

Search engines usually show around 150–160 characters, so aim for that length.

Does it work in other languages?

Yes, it counts letters from any alphabet, including accented characters.

How many words is a 5-minute speech?

About 650 words at a relaxed pace.