Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in your text. Includes reading time estimation.
How to use
- 1 Paste or type your text into the editor.
- 2 Word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentence count, and paragraph count update instantly.
- 3 Check the estimated reading time at the top of the stats panel.
- 4 Use it to check content length before publishing — blog posts, emails, or social media.
Key features
- Counts words, characters (with/without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs
- Estimated reading time at typical adult reading speed
- Useful for blog posts, social media, emails, and academic writing
- Instant real-time updates as you type or paste
What Does a Word Counter Actually Count?
Word count sounds simple until you need precision. Different platforms count differently: a hyphenated word like well-known is one word in some systems and two in others. Character counts matter for SEO, social media, and legal character limits — and they differ depending on whether you include spaces.
Reading time is estimated at roughly 200–238 words per minute (the average adult silent reading speed). This tool uses 200 wpm for a conservative estimate that accounts for complex or technical text.
Common Use Cases
Blog and editorial writing
Track word count against target article length (500, 1000, 2500 words) before publishing.
SEO content optimization
Check meta titles and descriptions stay within the character limits that search engines display.
Social media copy
Verify tweets, LinkedIn posts, and ad copy fit within platform-specific character limits.
Academic and formal documents
Meet word count requirements for essays, reports, dissertation abstracts, or grant proposals.
Estimating reading time
Add a "5 min read" indicator to blog posts or articles to set reader expectations.
App UI copy review
Measure notification text, tooltip content, or error messages to ensure nothing gets truncated in UI.
Platform Character Limits — Quick Reference
Paste your text and compare it against these thresholds.
| Platform / Field | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SEO meta title | 50–60 chars | Google truncates above ~580px width |
| SEO meta description | 155–160 chars | Longer descriptions get cut off in SERPs |
| X (Twitter) post | 280 chars | URLs count as 23 chars regardless of length |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 chars | Truncated to ~210 chars until "see more" is clicked |
| SMS message | 160 chars | Over 160 splits into multiple messages (billed separately) |
| Open Graph description | 200 chars | Used by Facebook, Slack, and WhatsApp link previews |