Word Counter
Live counts as you type.
- Files stay on your device
- No upload, no waiting
- No sign-up, no watermark
Questions
How are words counted?
A word is any run of characters separated by whitespace, which is the same rule Microsoft Word and Google Docs use. Hyphenated compounds like 'well-known' count as one word; an em dash between words does not join them. Numbers and standalone symbols count as words, so '15' and '&' each add one to the total.
What is the difference between characters with and without spaces?
Characters with spaces counts every keystroke, including spaces, tabs and line breaks. Without spaces counts only the visible glyphs. Most publishers, universities and job applications that impose a character limit mean the with-spaces figure, but SEO meta tags and Twitter-style limits usually mean the same thing too — check the brief if it matters.
How is reading time calculated?
We use 238 words per minute for silent reading of English prose, the median from Brysbaert's 2019 meta-analysis of 190 reading studies. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, roughly the pace of a measured presentation. Technical or unfamiliar material reads considerably slower, so treat both as a floor rather than a promise.
Is there a limit on how much text I can paste?
No. The counter runs in your browser, so the only real limit is your device's memory — a full novel of around 100,000 words updates without any perceptible delay. Recalculation is deferred behind your keystrokes, so typing stays responsive even on very large documents.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Everything is computed locally in your browser and nothing is transmitted, logged or stored. You can paste confidential drafts, client work or unpublished manuscripts safely, and the page keeps working if you disconnect from the internet after it loads.
About word counter
What counts as a word?
Almost every word counter — this one, Microsoft Word, Google Docs — defines a word as a run of characters with whitespace on either side. It is a crude rule, and it is the right one, because it is the rule your editor, your lecturer and your client are all using too. Matching their number matters more than being philosophically correct.
The consequences are worth knowing. A hyphenated compound like well-known is one word. An em dash with spaces around it — like this — is counted as a word of its own. A URL is one word no matter how long. And don’t is one word, while do not is two, which is why contractions quietly shrink a word count.
Common word and character limits
| Where | Typical limit | Counted as |
|---|---|---|
| Google title tag | ~60 characters | Pixels, roughly 600px — characters are a proxy |
| Google meta description | 150–160 characters | Characters with spaces |
| LinkedIn post before “see more” | ~210 characters | Characters with spaces |
| UCAS personal statement | 4,000 characters / 47 lines | Characters with spaces |
| Common App essay | 650 words | Words |
| Academic abstract | 150–300 words | Words |
| SMS segment | 160 characters | Characters, 70 if any emoji or accent is present |
When a brief says “500 words” it almost always means the body text only — not the title, footnotes, bibliography or captions. When it says “2,000 characters” it almost always includes spaces. If a submission form is going to reject you, it is worth confirming which before you cut anything.
Reading time, and why estimates disagree
Published reading-time figures range from 200 to 300 words per minute, which is a wide enough spread to matter on a long article. We use 238 wpm, the median for adult silent reading of English non-fiction in Marc Brysbaert’s 2019 meta-analysis of 190 separate studies. It is the best-supported single number available.
Treat it as a floor. Technical writing, unfamiliar vocabulary, tables and code all slow readers down substantially, and reading on a phone is slower than on paper. If you are labelling a blog post, rounding up is more honest than rounding down.
Keyword density is a diagnostic, not a target
The density readout above shows how often your most frequent meaningful words appear. It is useful for noticing that you have written “solution” fourteen times in eight hundred words. It is not a number to optimise: Google has not used raw keyword density as a ranking signal for well over a decade, and writing to hit a percentage produces text that reads like it was written to hit a percentage.
The useful reading is the opposite one. If your target topic does not appear in the list at all, the page may genuinely be about something else than you intended.
Related
Browse the rest of the text tools, or head back to all tools.