Word & Character Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and reading time as you type. It runs entirely in your browser, so the file never leaves your computer.
The count, and everything around it
Words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, lines, reading time, unique words and the longest word — all updating as you type. No button, no limit, nothing to paste into.
Character counts with and without spaces are both there because different limits mean different things: a meta description budget counts every character, while some submission guidelines do not.
How a word is counted, and why it matters
A word is any run of characters between spaces or line breaks. A hyphenated word counts as one. Numbers count as words. That matches how word processors count, which is what matters — if you are writing to a limit, you need the same number the person checking will see.
Reading time assumes about 200 words per minute, which is a reasonable average for silent reading of ordinary prose. The slow-reader option drops it to 150, closer to careful or read-aloud pace.
Sentences and paragraphs are estimates
Sentences are counted by terminal punctuation and paragraphs by blank lines. For ordinary writing that is reliable. Abbreviations, ellipses, decimal numbers and unusual formatting can shift the count slightly.
Treat those two as close rather than exact; the word and character counts are precise. Everything stays in your browser, which is worth knowing when the text is a draft you have not shown anyone.
Questions
Common questions
What does this tool do?
It counts your text live as you type or paste — words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, lines, and estimated reading time, plus extras like unique words and your longest word.
How do I use it?
Just start typing in the box, or paste text in. Every count updates instantly — there's no button to press. Use Clear to start over or Copy to grab your text back out.
How is a word counted?
A word is any run of characters separated by spaces or line breaks. So hyphenated words count as one, and numbers count as words too. This matches how word processors and most counters work.
How is reading time worked out?
It assumes an average reading pace of about 200 words per minute. If you flip on the 'Slow reader' option it uses 150 words per minute instead, which is closer to careful or out-loud reading.
Are the sentence and paragraph counts exact?
They're close estimates. Sentences are counted by ending punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation), and paragraphs by blank lines between blocks. Unusual punctuation or formatting can shift them slightly, but for normal writing they're reliable.
Is there a character limit?
No — paste as much as you like. It's handy for checking essay length, social-media limits, or meta-description limits where an exact character count matters.
Is my text private?
Completely. Every count happens on your own computer in the browser — your text is never uploaded or sent anywhere, so it's safe for drafts, private notes, or sensitive writing.
Our own software
Dictate it instead of typing it
Hold a key, say the sentence, and the words land in whatever Windows window you were already in. Runs on your own PC — no account, no upload, nothing to renew.
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