Word Counter — Words, Characters & Reading Time
Whether you're staying under a character limit (personal statements, tweets, meta descriptions) or hitting a word target (essays, applications), this live counter tracks words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time as you type. It's instant and private — your text never leaves the page.
How to use this tool
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Counts update live — words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs.
- Use the character count for limits (bios, meta tags, tweets) and reading time for content.
Frequently asked questions
Does it count characters with or without spaces?
Both — the counter shows total characters (including spaces) and characters without spaces separately. Social platforms and meta-description limits usually count with spaces, so use that number for those.
How is reading time calculated?
Based on an average adult reading speed of about 200 words per minute. It's an estimate — dense or technical text reads slower, familiar text faster — but it's the standard figure blogs use for 'X min read' labels.
Is my text saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything is counted in your browser as you type; the text is never uploaded or stored. You can safely paste confidential drafts.
What counts as a word?
Any run of non-space characters, matching how most word processors count. Hyphenated terms like 'end-of-service' count as one word; numbers and standalone symbols separated by spaces count individually.
Can I use this for essay or application limits?
Absolutely — it's ideal for personal statements, university essays and job applications with strict word or character caps. Keep it open in a tab and watch the count as you edit down to the limit.