Free Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time as you type. Everything stays in your browser: no signup, no server calls, no stored text.Words0
Characters0
Without spaces0
Sentences0
Paragraphs0
Reading time0 min
Speaking time0 min
Common word count targets
Useful reference points for when 'how many words do I need?' comes up.| Format | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tweet | up to ~55 words | 280 characters |
| LinkedIn post | up to ~500 words | 3,000 char limit |
| College application essay | 250-650 words | Common App: 250-650 |
| Blog post (SEO) | 1,000-2,500 words | Sweet spot for ranking |
| Short story | 1,000-7,500 words | Flash fiction to novella start |
| Master's thesis | 15,000-40,000 words | Program-dependent |
How the counter works
As you type or paste, the counter tallies words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading time in real time. Counting happens entirely in your browser: nothing is sent to a server.How reading time is calculated
We use an average reading speed of 225 words per minute, which reflects adult silent reading speed for general-audience content. Technical or dense academic reading averages closer to 180 WPM; casual blog reading averages 275 WPM. The minimum reading time shown is 1 minute.What counts as a word
A word is any sequence of non-whitespace characters separated by whitespace.- Hyphenated terms like 'well-known' count as one word.
- Contractions like 'don't' count as one word.
- URLs and email addresses count as one word each.