Word and character counter

What the counts measure

Word, sentence and paragraph counts are taken from the text in the box, so they reflect the text as it is now. Characters are shown twice, once with spaces and once without. The count with spaces includes the space characters between words, and the count without spaces leaves them out. That difference matters when a platform limits characters rather than words. Sentences are counted from the text as written, so an abbreviation or a list item may affect the total.

Reading time is an estimate at about 238 words per minute, and speaking time is an estimate at about 150 words per minute. A 1,190-word article takes about five minutes to read and about eight minutes to speak. These are planning figures, since reading and speaking speeds vary from one person and one text to another. A figure from this counter is a useful guide when a publication or an assignment gives a length in words. Speaking time is useful when a talk, a podcast or a voice recording has a fixed slot.

Word frequency and character limits

The most frequent words are listed with the share of the total that each one accounts for. This helps spot a term you repeat without meaning to, or a word that dominates a short piece. Use the list as a check on repetition rather than as a measure of quality, because a word that appears often can still be the right word. Repeated words are easiest to spot in a long draft, where a term can appear dozens of times without being noticed. Compare the top words with the subject of the text to see whether the emphasis is intended.

The optional limit shows how many characters remain. It suits short text with a fixed length, such as a headline, a search snippet or a social post with a character limit. For example, a limit of 160 leaves 160 characters minus the ones already used. The counter works on the text in your browser, so drafts are not sent to a server. Set the limit before you write when the platform sets one, so the remaining count guides each edit.