Word Counter
Paste or type text to see live counts of words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, with estimated reading and speaking time.
- Words
- 0
- Characters
- 0
- Without spaces
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 min
- Speaking time
- 0 min
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How the counts work
- Words are groups of letters or numbers. Hyphenated words and contractions such as “don’t” count as one word.
- Characters includes spaces and punctuation; “without spaces” leaves out spaces, tabs and line breaks.
- Reading time assumes about 230 words per minute, a typical silent reading speed for adults. Speaking time assumes about 140 words per minute, a comfortable presentation pace.
Different programs count slightly differently, especially around hyphens, numbers and symbols. If you are writing to a strict limit, check with the tool your editor or institution uses for the final count.
Questions about the Word Counter
Does the counter save my text?
No. The text stays in your browser tab and disappears when you close or clear it.
Do spaces count as characters?
They do in the “Characters” figure. Use “Without spaces” when a limit excludes them.
Why is the count different from Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
Each program has its own rules for hyphens, slashes, numbers and symbols. Differences are usually a handful of words in a long document.