Free Word Counter & Character Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs as you type or paste. Results update instantly, with reading time.
- Free, no signup
- Live counts
- Text stays in your browser
How to use Word Counter
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Watch the word, character, sentence and paragraph counts update live.
- Check reading and speaking time, or clear the box to start again.
Features
- Live word, character, sentence and paragraph counts
- Characters with and without spaces
- Estimated reading and speaking time
- Works with pasted text of any practical length
- Counts characters by Unicode symbol, so accented letters and most emoji count once
- Your text is never saved or sent anywhere
What can you use Word Counter for?
A live word and character counter is essential for essays, captions, tweets and anything with a length limit. This tool also tracks sentences and paragraphs as you type, so you always know exactly where your writing stands.
Word and character limits show up everywhere — school essays, tweets, meta descriptions, cover letters, product listings — and manually counting is slow and error-prone. This tool updates counts live as you type or paste, so you can see exactly where you stand against a limit before you submit.
- Checking an essay or assignment against a required word count.
- Keeping a social media post, ad headline or meta description inside its character limit.
- Estimating reading time for a blog post or script before publishing.
- Tracking paragraph and sentence counts for readability while editing longer documents.
Tips for better results
- Paste your full draft rather than typing it fresh — the live counts update instantly either way.
- Watch the character count, not just the word count, for platforms like meta descriptions or SMS that limit characters.
- Long single-sentence paragraphs can throw off readability even when the word count looks fine — check the sentence and paragraph counts too.
Frequently asked questions
Is the word counter free?
Yes, this tool is completely free to use with no limits.
Does it count characters as well as words?
Yes, it tracks words, characters, sentences and paragraphs live as you type.
Is my text saved or sent anywhere?
No. All counting happens locally in your browser.
Does it count spaces as characters?
The main character count includes spaces and punctuation, matching how most platforms count. A separate 'characters (no spaces)' count is shown alongside it if you need that number instead.
Can I use it for scripts or subtitles?
Yes — it works for any plain text, including scripts, captions and subtitle drafts, though it doesn't calculate on-screen timing.
How does the tool count words?
Words are groups of characters separated by spaces or line breaks, so a hyphenated word such as "well-known" and a number such as "2026" each count as one word.
How are reading and speaking time calculated?
Reading time assumes about 238 words per minute, a typical adult silent-reading speed. Speaking time assumes about 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or voice-over.