About this tool
The Word Counter is a free online tool that counts words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in your text as you type. It is designed for writers, bloggers, students, journalists, SEO specialists, and anyone who needs to hit a specific length target - whether that is 500 words for a blog post or 160 characters for a meta description.
How it works
1
Type or paste your text
Start typing in the text area, or paste text from any source. The counts update in real time with every keystroke.
2
Read live stats
You see words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs.
3
Adjust to fit your target
If you have a target, trim or expand until the counter reaches it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it count words? v
The tool splits text on any whitespace and counts non-empty segments as words. This is the same method used by Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
How is reading time calculated? v
Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute, the standard average for adult English readers.
Does it count characters for Twitter, meta descriptions, etc.? v
Yes. Twitter allows 280 characters, meta descriptions 155-160 characters, title tags 60 characters.
Is my text sent to a server? v
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser.
Does it work with non-English text? v
Yes for languages that use whitespace between words. For CJK languages, use the character count.
Can I count words in a PDF or Word file? v
Not directly - the tool only counts text you paste in.