Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs, with an estimated reading time.
How to use Word Counter
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Word count, character count, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time all update as you type.
About this tool
The Word Counter gives you a live breakdown of any text: word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentence count, paragraph count, and an estimated reading time. Useful for staying within a word limit on an essay or article, checking a social media post's character count, or gauging how long a piece will take to read. Everything updates as you type, entirely in your browser — nothing you write is uploaded or sent to a server.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is reading time estimated?
Based on an average adult silent reading speed of about 200 words per minute — a common estimate used by publishing platforms. Actual reading time varies by text complexity and individual reading speed.
What counts as a sentence or paragraph?
A sentence is text ending in '.', '!', or '?'. A paragraph is a block of text separated by a blank line. Both are approximations based on punctuation and spacing, not true grammatical analysis, so unusual formatting (like a list of short fragments) can affect the count.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No — counting happens entirely in your browser as you type. Nothing is sent to a server.