Word Counter
Type or paste text and watch every count update live — words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
About this tool
Essay limits, meta descriptions, tweet-length checks, script timing — half of writing is counting. This free word counter shows words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences and paragraphs the instant you type or paste, plus reading and speaking time estimates so you know whether that speech really fits in five minutes.
Everything is counted locally in your browser. Unlike many counter sites, your text is never transmitted to a server — safe for unpublished manuscripts, confidential reports and anything else you'd rather keep on your own machine.
How to count words
- Type or paste your text into the box above.
- Every statistic updates live as you edit — no button to press.
- Use the reading/speaking estimates to plan articles, videos and talks.
Frequently asked questions
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Counting happens live in your browser as you type or paste — nothing is transmitted to any server, so essays, work documents and private notes stay on your device.
How is the word count calculated?
Any run of characters separated by spaces, tabs or line breaks counts as one word — the same rule word processors use, so the number matches what tools like Word or Google Docs report for normal text.
What do the reading and speaking times mean?
Reading time assumes an average silent reading speed of about 200 words per minute; speaking time assumes about 130 words per minute, the pace of a typical presentation. They are estimates for planning speeches, videos and articles.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes — both figures are shown. Characters with spaces is what most platform limits (like social media posts) measure; characters without spaces is common for translation and typesetting quotes.
Is there a limit on how much text I can paste?
No practical limit — entire book manuscripts count fine. Everything runs locally, so speed depends only on your device, and even very large texts count in a fraction of a second.