Word counter online
Paste or type your text and instantly get the word count, character count, and estimated reading time. Free, no sign-up, no limits.
What the word counter measures
- Words: groups of characters separated by spaces or line breaks.
- Characters with spaces: everything in the text, including spaces and punctuation. This is what most forms and applications mean by "characters".
- Characters without spaces: letters, numbers and punctuation only.
- Sentences and paragraphs: useful for checking readability and structure.
- Reading time: estimated at 200 words per minute, a typical silent reading speed.
Your text is counted in your browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded or saved.
Quick reference: words, pages and time
| Words | Pages (single-spaced) | Pages (double-spaced) | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | ½ | 1 | ~1 min | ~2 min |
| 500 | 1 | 2 | ~2.5 min | ~3.5 min |
| 1,000 | 2 | 4 | ~5 min | ~7 min |
| 2,000 | 4 | 8 | ~10 min | ~14 min |
Estimates for a 12-point font with standard margins, 200 words per minute for reading and about 140 for speaking.
Common character limits
X (Twitter) allows 280 characters per post on a free account, an Instagram caption 2,200, a LinkedIn post 3,000 and a standard SMS 160. Google usually shows around 60 characters of a page title and 155 of a meta description. For more limits and tips, see our guide on how to count words and characters.
Frequently asked questions
Is my text stored anywhere?
No. Everything is processed locally in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is based on an average adult reading speed of 200 words per minute.
Is there a character limit?
No. You can paste texts of any length — articles, book chapters, full reports — with no restrictions.