Quick answer: A word counter counts the groups of characters separated by spaces. Paste your text above to see words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time (at about 238 words per minute) and your most-used words. Nothing you type is uploaded.
How to use the Word Counter
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Read the live counts, reading time and speaking time.
- Check the most-used words list to spot repetition, then edit your text.
What the word counter measures
- Words: groups of characters separated by spaces or line breaks. A hyphenated word such as "well-known" counts as one.
- Characters: every letter, number, symbol and space, with a second count that leaves out spaces and line breaks.
- Sentences: text ending in a period, question mark or exclamation mark. This is an estimate, because abbreviations such as "e.g." can look like sentence ends.
- Paragraphs: blocks of text separated by a blank line.
Reading time and speaking time
Reading time assumes about 238 words per minute, the average adult silent reading speed for non-fiction found in a 2019 review of reading research by Marc Brysbaert. Speaking time assumes 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or voice-over. Both are rough guides; people read and speak faster or slower depending on the text and the audience.
Using the most-used words list
The list shows the words you repeat most, ignoring very common words such as "the" and "and" and words shorter than three letters. Use it to catch accidental repetition in an essay or an article. The percentages are only a diagnostic. They are not a keyword-density target, and there is no ideal percentage for search engines.
Word count and SEO
Google does not use word count as a ranking factor, and it does not publish an ideal article length. Write as many words as the topic needs to answer the reader's question properly. Word limits still matter in other places: school essays, application forms, meta descriptions, product listings and guest-post guidelines. For limits measured in characters, use the Character Counter.
Why your count may differ from Word or Google Docs
Programs apply slightly different rules to dashes, slashes and symbols on their own, so a count can differ by a few words. If a strict limit applies, check your text in the program the recipient will use. Languages that do not put spaces between words, such as Chinese and Japanese, cannot be split into words this way, so the character count is the better measure for them.
Privacy
The counting happens in your browser. The text you type is not uploaded, saved or shared, and it disappears when you close or refresh the page.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
It counts groups of characters separated by spaces or line breaks. A hyphenated word counts as one word.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is the word count divided by 238 words per minute, an average adult silent reading speed. It is an estimate.
Does Google have an ideal word count for articles?
No. Google does not use word count as a ranking factor. Write as many words as the topic needs.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
No. The text stays in your browser and is not sent anywhere.
Why is my count different from Microsoft Word?
Programs handle dashes, slashes and standalone symbols slightly differently, so counts can differ by a few words.
Sources and references
- Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language.
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Last updated: November 10, 2026