Word & Character Counter
Free online word counter. Count words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, lines, paragraphs, and estimated reading time instantly.
A word counter reports how many words, characters, sentences, lines, and paragraphs your text contains, plus an estimated reading time. Counts update live as you type, and nothing is uploaded.
Examples
| Input | Output |
|---|---|
| The quick brown fox. | Characters: 20 Characters (no spaces): 17 Words: 4 Sentences: 1 Lines: 1 Paragraphs: 1 Reading time: ~1 min |
When to use the word counter
Counting matters wherever a limit exists, and the limits are rarely counted the same way:
- SEO. Title tags are truncated by Google at roughly 60 characters and meta descriptions at about 155 — though the real limit is measured in pixels, not characters, so a title full of capitals truncates sooner.
- Social platforms. X counts most characters as one but treats CJK characters as two; a URL is always counted as 23 characters regardless of its real length.
- Academic work. Word limits usually exclude the bibliography and often the footnotes — check the rubric before trusting any total.
- Reading time, estimated here at 225 words per minute, the commonly cited average for adult silent reading of general prose.
A word here is any run of characters separated by whitespace, which is the same definition Microsoft Word and Google Docs use. Hyphenated compounds count as one word; an em-dash between words without spaces makes them count as one too.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter define a word?
Any sequence of characters separated by whitespace. This matches Microsoft Word and Google Docs, so a hyphenated compound such as "well-known" counts as one word.
How is reading time calculated?
Word count divided by 225 words per minute, the commonly cited average for adult silent reading of general prose, rounded up to at least one minute.
Why does my character count differ from Twitter or X?
X counts CJK characters as two and always counts a URL as 23 characters regardless of its actual length. This tool counts every Unicode character as one.
Is my text sent anywhere to be counted?
No. Counting happens in your browser. Your text never leaves your device, which makes this safe for confidential drafts.