Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in your text — with reading time estimate.
Our word counter provides instant real-time statistics as you type or paste text. It counts words, characters (total and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, and estimates reading time based on an average reading speed of 200 words per minute. The keyword density section highlights your most frequently used words, which is useful for SEO writing and avoiding word repetition.
Word and character counts matter across many contexts: Twitter/X limits posts to 280 characters, LinkedIn allows 3,000, Instagram captions up to 2,200. For SEO, meta descriptions should be 155–160 characters and titles 50–60. Academic essays and submissions often specify word limits (e.g., 1,000–5,000 words). Use this tool to stay within any platform or assignment constraint.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are words counted?
Words are counted by splitting the text on whitespace. Any sequence of characters separated by spaces, tabs, or line breaks is counted as one word. Numbers and hyphenated words count as one word each.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute (wpm), which is close to the average adult reading speed for online content. Academic texts are typically read at 150–200 wpm, while technical content may be 100–150 wpm. Adjust your estimation accordingly.
What counts as a sentence?
Sentences are detected by period (.), exclamation mark (!), and question mark (?) characters. This is a simplified approach — complex punctuation like ellipses or abbreviations may slightly affect the count.
What is the keyword density feature?
The keyword density section shows the most frequently used content words in your text (excluding common stop words like "the", "a", "and"). It is useful for checking keyword frequency in SEO writing and identifying overused words.
What is the recommended word count for a blog post?
For blog posts: 1,500–2,500 words for standard articles, 3,000+ for comprehensive pillar content. For news articles: 300–800 words. Academic essays: 1,000–5,000 words depending on level. Google tends to rank longer, thorough content for informational queries, but quality always matters more than raw length.
How many words fit on one A4 page?
An A4 page in standard format (12pt font, double-spaced, 2.5cm margins) holds approximately 250–300 words. Single-spaced at 12pt fits about 500–600 words. These figures vary with font and line spacing. Academic papers typically require double-spacing, giving roughly 250 words per page.
What are the character limits for major social media platforms?
Twitter/X: 280 characters. LinkedIn post: 3,000 characters. Facebook post: 63,206 characters. Instagram caption: 2,200 characters. Meta description (SEO): 155–160 characters. Page title (SEO): 50–60 characters. SMS: 160 characters per single message.
How do I reduce word count without losing meaning?
Replace wordy phrases: "due to the fact that" → "because", "in order to" → "to", "at the present time" → "now". Remove filler words: "very", "really", "quite", "basically". Cut redundant pairs: "each and every" → "each". Switch passive to active voice — it shortens sentences and adds clarity.
What is the character limit for a Google meta description?
Google typically displays 155–160 characters in search results. Focus on a clear, keyword-rich summary under 155 characters to avoid truncation. Quality and relevance matter more than hitting an exact character count.
Does the word counter save or transmit my text?
No — your text is processed entirely in your browser and is never sent to any server. The counter does not save, store, or transmit your content. Refreshing or closing the page clears the text area completely.