Word count
How this word counter counts
This word counter uses your browser's built-in language rules (the Intl.Segmenter API) to split text into words, so it handles contractions like don't, hyphenated words, numbers, accented letters and non-Latin scripts correctly. Where that API is not available, it falls back to a Unicode-aware pattern. Punctuation, emoji and extra spaces are not counted as words.
- Characters counts every character including spaces and line breaks, the way most form fields and social platforms do. Emoji count as one character.
- Characters without spaces is often used for translation quotes and some academic limits.
- Sentences end with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Paragraphs are separated by a blank line.
- Reading time uses an average silent reading speed of 238 words per minute, and speaking time uses 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for presentations and video scripts.
Character limits
Word and character limits to know
| Where | Limit |
|---|
| Google title tag | About 60 characters before it is cut off |
| Meta description | About 155 to 160 characters |
| X (Twitter) post | 280 characters (more for Premium) |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters, about 125 shown before "more" |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters, about 210 shown before "see more" |
| SMS message | 160 GSM characters per segment (70 with emoji) |
| College application essay (Common App) | 650 words |
| Blog post that ranks well | No fixed number. Cover the topic fully, often 1,000 to 2,000 words |
Pick a preset under Character limit preset and the tool counts down the characters left, turning red when you go over.
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Keyword frequency
Keyword frequency and writing quality
The Top keywords table lists the words you use most, with their count and share of the total. Common words like the and and are hidden by default so the useful words stand out. Use it to:
- Spot words you repeat too often and swap in synonyms.
- Check that the main topic of an article is clear from the words you use.
- Keep an eye on keyword stuffing in SEO copy. For a full analysis of 2 to 4 word phrases on a live page, use the keyword density checker.
The Text details panel adds unique words, lexical density (unique words as a share of all words, a rough measure of variety), the longest word, average words per sentence and an approximate page count. Shorter sentences, around 15 to 20 words on average, are usually easier to read on screens.
Privacy
Private by design
Your text is counted entirely in your browser and is never uploaded. The tool remembers your last text in your own browser storage so it is still there if you refresh the page, and the Clear button removes it. That makes it safe for drafts, school work, client documents and unpublished articles.
Need to change the text too? Fix capitalization with the case converter, replace words in bulk with find and replace, or compare two drafts with text compare.
Writers
Word counts for writers, students and marketers
Different kinds of writing come with different expectations. As a rough guide:
| Type of writing | Typical length |
|---|
| Tweet or X post | 25 to 50 words |
| Product description | 50 to 300 words |
| Email newsletter | 200 to 500 words |
| News article | 500 to 800 words |
| Blog post or guide | 1,000 to 2,500 words |
| College essay | 500 to 650 words |
| Short story | 1,000 to 7,500 words |
| Novel | 70,000 to 100,000 words |
Word counters also differ slightly from each other. Microsoft Word and Google Docs count hyphenated words and numbers in their own ways, and some academic systems ignore footnotes or references. If an assignment has a strict limit, check which tool your teacher or publisher uses and leave a small margin.
For speeches, presentations, podcasts and video scripts, the speaking time is often more useful than the word count. At about 140 words per minute, a five-minute talk needs roughly 700 words. Slow down for audiences listening in a second language, and allow time for pauses and slides.
FAQ
Word Counter: frequently asked questions
How do I count the words in my text?
Paste or type your text into the box. The word count and all other statistics update instantly as you type.
Does the word counter count characters with spaces?
Yes. It shows characters with spaces and characters without spaces separately.
How is reading time calculated?
Word count divided by 238 words per minute, the average adult silent reading speed. Speaking time uses 140 words per minute.
How many words is a page?
About 500 words single-spaced or 250 words double-spaced with a 12 point font and normal margins.
Are numbers and hyphenated words counted?
Yes. Numbers count as words, and hyphenated words like well-known count as one word.
Does it work with other languages?
Yes. It uses your browser's language-aware word segmentation, which supports accented, Cyrillic, Arabic and many other scripts.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
No. It never leaves your browser. It is only kept in your own browser storage so a refresh does not lose it.
How many characters is a meta description?
Aim for 150 to 160 characters. Choose the Meta description preset to count down from 160.