Free Online Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs instantly.
- Free
- Real-time
- Runs locally
Words
0
Characters
0
Including spaces
No spaces
0
Excluding spaces
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0
Reading time
0min
At 200 wpm
This word counter shows how long your text is the moment you type or paste it. Along with the word count you get characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, lines and an estimated reading time, so you can check an essay, article, cover letter or social post against a length limit without leaving the page.
Counting happens entirely in your browser. Your text is not uploaded, stored or sent anywhere, which makes the tool safe for drafts, client work and anything confidential.
How to use the word counter
- STEP 01
Add your text
Type directly into the box, paste with Ctrl+V (⌘V on Mac), or use the Paste button to insert what is on your clipboard.
- STEP 02
Read the statistics
Words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time update automatically as you write. There is nothing to submit.
- STEP 03
Copy, save or start over
Copy the text back to your clipboard, download it as a .txt file, or clear the box to count something new.
Features
Real-time counting
Every statistic refreshes as you type. Very long documents are counted in the background so typing never lags.
Accurate with any language
Unicode-aware word and character rules handle English, accented letters from European languages, and Chinese or Japanese text.
Emoji counted correctly
Complex emoji such as flags, skin tones and family emoji count as one character each, and never as words.
Reading time estimate
See roughly how long your text takes to read at an average pace of 200 words per minute.
Handy text actions
Paste, copy, select all, download as a .txt file and clear, all from buttons under the editor.
Private by design
No sign-up, no limits and no uploads. Your writing stays on your device.
How we count
Word counters can disagree on edge cases, so here are the exact rules this tool uses:
- Words are runs of letters or numbers. Repeated spaces, tabs and line breaks never add words, and punctuation, symbols and emoji are not counted as words.
- Contractions (don't), decimals (3.14) and hyphenated compounds (well-known) each count as one word.
- Characters are what you see on screen: an accented letter or a multi-part emoji counts as one character, even when it is stored as several code points.
- Sentences end with a period, question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis. Decimals, web addresses and common abbreviations like “Mr.” or “e.g.” do not end a sentence, and a final line without punctuation still counts as a sentence.
- Paragraphs are blocks of text separated by at least one empty line.
- Reading time is words divided by 200, rounded up, with a minimum of one minute for any text.
Frequently asked questions
Is this word counter free?
Yes. The word counter is completely free, with no account, no usage limits and no length cap on the text you can check.
Is my text saved or uploaded anywhere?
No. All counting is done by JavaScript in your browser. The text never leaves your device and disappears when you clear the box or close the page.
Does it count words in other languages?
Yes. Words are detected with Unicode-aware rules, so French, German, Spanish and other languages with accents are counted correctly. Chinese and Japanese text, which has no spaces, is split into words using your browser's built-in dictionary.
Why does my word count differ slightly from another tool?
Tools handle edge cases differently, for example hyphenated words, numbers, web addresses or emoji. The “How we count” section above lists the rules this counter follows so you know exactly what is included.
Are spaces counted as characters?
The Characters total includes spaces, tabs and line breaks. The No spaces total excludes all whitespace, which is useful when a form or assignment counts only visible characters.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time divides the word count by an average silent reading speed of 200 words per minute and rounds up to the next whole minute. Any text with at least one word shows a minimum of one minute.
Can I count very long documents?
Yes. There is no character limit in the editor. Long texts are counted in a background thread, so the page stays responsive while the statistics update.