Paste or type your text to count its words, characters, sentences and paragraphs. It also estimates reading and speaking time and shows your longest and most repeated words.
Results are estimates for planning. Check the figures before you make a financial or health decision.
How the Word and character counter works
The counter updates as you type, and your text stays in your browser.
- Words: any run of letters or digits separated by spaces or line breaks. A hyphenated word such as “well-known” counts as one.
- Characters: shown with spaces and without spaces. Line breaks count as spaces.
- Sentences: counted at full stops, question marks and exclamation marks. Abbreviations with full stops can add extra sentences.
- Paragraphs: blocks of text separated by at least one blank line.
- Reading time: words divided by 238 words a minute, a typical silent reading speed.
- Speaking time: words divided by 150 words a minute, a typical speaking pace.
- Longest word and the five most repeated words. Only words of four or more letters are counted for repeats, so small words such as “the” do not drown out the rest.
Times are averages; a technical text reads slower and a simple one faster.
Worked example
Using the default values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Your text | Counting words is useful when you are writing to a limit. An essay, a cover letter or a social post often has a target length, and knowing the count helps you edit. Paste your own text here and the counter will update straight away. The tool also estimates how long a piece takes to read aloud or to read silently, and it lists the words you use most often. Repeated words can show you where a draft needs more variety. |
Words: 80
| Characters (with spaces) | 420 |
|---|---|
| Characters (without spaces) | 340 |
| Sentences | 5 |
| Paragraphs | 2 |
| Reading time (238 words a minute) | 20 sec |
| Speaking time (150 words a minute) | 32 sec |
Tips and common mistakes
Check the word limit you have been given and whether it includes headings, references or footnotes, as counters differ on this. Characters without spaces are often what social media and form fields count.
If one word dominates the repeated words list, consider varying your wording. Reading time is a guide for planning a talk or a blog post, but rehearse aloud, since pauses, slides and questions add time to speaking.
Frequently asked questions
How is the word count worked out?
Any sequence of letters or digits separated by spaces or line breaks counts as a word. Hyphenated words count as one. Different programs may differ slightly.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
At 238 words a minute, about four minutes and a bit. The tool works it out for your exact count, along with the speaking time at 150 words a minute.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. The counting is done in your browser, and nothing you type is sent to a server.