Word Counter
Count words and characters as you type, with and without spaces. See sentences, paragraphs, bytes and reading time, and track progress toward a character goal.
Your text is saved automatically in this browser only. On a shared computer, clear it when you are done.
Reading time about 0 min
Set a goal to see how many characters are left.
How to use
When it helps
College essays, cover letters, abstracts and social media posts often come with a strict limit, such as 650 words or 2,000 characters. Some forms count spaces and some do not, so it helps to see every number at once.
This tool shows the word count, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and UTF-8 bytes. You can also choose whether line breaks count as characters, which is where many online forms differ.
Your text is saved automatically in this browser, so it is still there if you close the tab by accident. It is never sent to a server. Reading and speaking time estimates help when you are preparing a talk or blog post.
FAQ
My count is slightly different from the application form.
Forms differ in how they count line breaks: as one character, as two, or not at all. Toggle Count line breaks as characters to compare, and leave yourself a small margin under the limit.
How are words counted?
Any run of characters separated by spaces or line breaks counts as one word, so hyphenated words like well-known count as one.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time assumes about 238 words per minute and speaking time about 150 words per minute. These are averages, so your actual pace may vary.
Is my text saved?
It is stored only in this browser and never sent to a server. Pressing Clear also deletes the saved text.
How are emoji counted?
Each visible emoji counts as one character, but it takes 4 or more bytes.