How to use the word counter
- Type directly into the box, or paste text from Word, Google Docs, an email or a web page.
- The word count and all other statistics update instantly as you type.
- Set an optional word goal to track your progress toward an essay or article length.
- Scroll to Keyword density to see which words you use most often.
What this word counter measures
- Words: any run of letters or numbers. Hyphenated words (well-known) and contractions (don't) count as one word.
- Characters: every letter, number, space and symbol, counted the way you see them (emoji count as one).
- Sentences and paragraphs: sentences end with . ! or ?, and paragraphs are separated by a blank line.
- Reading time uses an average silent reading speed of 238 words per minute. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for presentations.
Typical word counts
A tweet is usually under 50 words, a college application essay is 250–650 words, a blog post is often 1,000–2,000 words, and a novel typically runs 70,000–100,000 words. Knowing your count helps you meet assignment limits, SEO targets and submission guidelines.
Frequently asked questions
Is my text saved or uploaded anywhere?
No. The word counter runs entirely in your browser. Your text is never sent to our servers. A copy is kept in your browser's local storage so you don't lose work if you refresh; press Clear to remove it.
Why does my count differ slightly from Microsoft Word?
Every tool uses slightly different rules for things like numbers with decimals, URLs, and dashes. The difference is usually less than 1%.
Is there a word limit?
No. You can paste very long documents; counts stay fast even for tens of thousands of words.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. The tool works in any modern mobile browser, and the layout adapts to small screens.