Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and reading time as you type. Free, private and instant in your browser.
Free online word counter
This word counter tallies words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and estimated reading time in real time as you type. It is perfect for essays, blog posts, meta descriptions, social media captions and any writing with a length limit. Everything runs in your browser — your text is never uploaded.
How reading time is estimated
Reading time assumes an average adult reading speed of about 200 words per minute.
How to count words and reading time
- Paste or type your text into the box above.
- See the word, character and sentence counts update live.
- Check the estimated reading time for your text.
- Nothing is uploaded — your text stays in your browser.
How to Count Words and Characters in Text
Word and character counts matter more than you'd think: essays have limits, meta descriptions must fit, tweets have a ceiling, and reading time shapes blog posts. A live counter makes hitting any target effortless.
Words, characters and reading time
A good counter tracks words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences and paragraphs, plus an estimated reading time based on average reading speed.
How to count words
- Open the Word Counter.
- Type or paste your text.
- Watch the counts update live as you edit.
Tips
- Use character counts for SEO titles (about 60) and meta descriptions (about 155).
- Reading time assumes roughly 200 words per minute.
- Clean up repeated lines first with Remove Duplicate Lines.
Frequently asked questions
Does the word counter show reading time?
Yes. It estimates reading time from your word count so you know how long your text takes to read.
Can I count characters for a Twitter bio?
Yes. The live character count makes it easy to stay within limits like a 160-character bio.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser, so your writing stays private.
Is there a length limit?
No. You can paste essays or entire articles and the counts update instantly.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes — it shows total characters and updates live as you type.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
No. Everything is counted in your browser and nothing is stored.