Word Counter
Paste or type your text and see the word count update instantly, together with characters, sentences, paragraphs and estimated reading time. Nothing is uploaded: the counting happens in your browser.
Your text stays in this browser tab. Nothing is uploaded, saved or logged.
How the Word Counter works
A word is any run of characters between spaces or line breaks that contains at least one letter or number. “well-known” and “don’t” each count as one word, while a lone dash, a bullet or an emoji does not. This is the same convention used by most word processors.
Languages written without spaces, such as Chinese, Japanese and Thai, cannot be counted by splitting on spaces. For those scripts the tool uses your browser’s built-in dictionary-based word segmentation, so 我喜欢学习编程 is counted as several words rather than one long token.
Reading time assumes 238 words per minute, the average silent-reading speed for adult non-fiction found in a 2019 review of 190 studies. Speaking time assumes 150 words per minute. Both are estimates and you can change the speed in the tool.
How to use it
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Read the word count and the other figures, which update with every keystroke.
- Adjust the reading speed if you want a time estimate that fits your audience.
Example
A two-paragraph sample and the numbers the tool reports for it.
Text
Good tools do one job well. They load fast, ask for nothing, and never keep your text. That is the idea here: paste, read the numbers, move on.
Result
- Words
- 28
- Characters
- 144
- Sentences
- 3
- Paragraphs
- 2
- Reading time
- 7 sec
Frequently asked questions
Why does my word count differ from Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
Small differences come from how each program treats dashes, slashes and numbers. Here “and/or” is one word because there is no space inside it, and a stand-alone “–” is not a word. Word processors apply their own rules, so a variation of a few words in a long document is normal.
Are numbers and URLs counted as words?
Yes. “2025”, “3.14” and “example.com/page” each contain letters or digits and are separated by spaces, so each counts as one word.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. The counting runs entirely in your browser and the text is not stored or transmitted. You can disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and it will keep working.