Word Counter
Type or paste your text and watch the word count update instantly, along with characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time and your most used words. The counting happens in your browser, so nothing you write is uploaded.
How to count words
- 1Type or paste your text into the box, or open a .txt file.
- 2Read the counts below the box. They update as you type.
- 3Check “Most used words” to spot words you repeat too often.
What counts as a word
Any run of characters between spaces that contains a letter or a digit counts as one word, the way word processors count. “don't”, “e-mail” and “3.14” are one word each. In Chinese and Japanese, which don't use spaces, each character counts as a word, as in Microsoft Word.
Reading and speaking time
Reading time assumes 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction. Speaking time assumes 150 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk, a podcast or a video voice-over.
Keyword density
The table lists the words you use most and their share of all words. It's useful for spotting repetition in an essay, and for checking that an article mentions its main topic often enough without overdoing it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is my text uploaded or saved?
- No. The counting runs in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server or stored.
- How are characters counted?
- Each character you see counts once, including emoji and accented letters. “Without spaces” leaves out spaces, tabs and line breaks.
- How are paragraphs counted?
- Every line that has text on it counts as a paragraph, the same rule Microsoft Word and Google Docs use.
- Is there a length limit?
- No fixed limit. Very long texts, such as a whole book, still work; the counts just take a moment longer to update.