Word counter
Count words, characters, sentences and reading time as you type. Your text stays in your browser.
- Words
- 0
- Characters
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 sec
Counted in your browser. Your text is never sent or stored.
More details
- Characters without spaces
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
- Average word length
- —
Top keywords
Your most frequent words appear here as you type.
How it works
What counts as a word?
TextCountr counts words the way word processors do. A word is any run of letters or numbers, so these all count as one word each:
- Hyphenated words:
state-of-the-art,e-mail - Contractions:
don't,it's - Numbers:
2026,3.5
Punctuation, dashes and emoji on their own don't count as words. Characters are counted as you see them on screen, so an emoji like 👍🏽 or a letter with an accent counts as a single character, even when it's stored as several codes behind the scenes.
How long is a text?
Word counts are easier to picture as pages and minutes. At a typical reading speed of 238 words per minute:
| Words | Pages (single-spaced) | Pages (double-spaced) | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | ½ | 1 | About 1 minute |
| 500 | 1 | 2 | About 2 minutes |
| 1,000 | 2 | 4 | About 4 minutes |
| 1,500 | 3 | 6 | About 6 minutes |
| 2,500 | 5 | 10 | About 11 minutes |
Page counts assume 12-point type and standard margins. Fonts, spacing and headings change them a lot, so treat them as a rough guide.
Typical word counts
- College application essay: up to 650 words for the Common App personal statement.
- Cover letter: 250–400 words, enough to fit on one page.
- News article: 500–800 words.
- Blog post: 1,000–2,000 words for in-depth posts that rank well in search.
- Five-minute speech: about 700 words at a comfortable speaking pace.
Writing for a platform with a character limit instead? Use the character counter. Preparing a talk? The reading time calculator lets you set your own pace.
More tools
Other ways to measure your text
Character counterCheck your text against limits for posts, SEO titles, meta descriptions and SMS. Reading time calculatorHow long your text takes to read or say out loud, at the pace you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How does TextCountr count words?
The way word processors do: a word is a run of letters or numbers. Hyphenated words like "state-of-the-art", contractions like "don't" and numbers like "3.5" each count as one word. Punctuation and emoji on their own are not words.
Why is my count slightly different from Word or Google Docs?
Each program has its own rules for edge cases such as dashes between words, URLs, or numbers with slashes. The differences are usually a word or two in a long text. If you have a strict limit, check it in the tool your teacher or editor uses.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time uses 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults found in a large 2019 review of reading studies. Speaking time uses 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a presentation or speech.
Is my text saved or sent anywhere?
No. Everything is counted in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, logged or stored, and it disappears when you close the page. It is kept in memory while you switch between the counters on this site.
Does it work with other languages?
Yes. Characters and sentences are counted with your browser's built-in language rules, so accented letters and emoji count as one character, and languages without spaces between words, such as Chinese or Japanese, are split into words too.
Should I count characters with or without spaces?
Social networks, SEO tools and text messages count spaces, so use the main character count for those. Some publishers and translation agencies quote prices per character without spaces; that number is shown below the text box.
What is keyword density?
Keyword density is how often a word appears compared with the total number of words. TextCountr lists your most frequent meaningful words, leaving out common words like "the" and "and", which helps you spot repetition or check the focus of a text.