How to use the word counter
Type directly into the box or paste text from any document, email or website. All the counts update as you type. Use it to stay within essay limits, write social posts that fit, or check the length of a blog article.
What each number means
- Words: runs of letters or digits, with apostrophes and hyphens kept inside words.
- Characters: every letter, number, space and symbol.
- Characters without spaces: useful for some translation and publishing limits.
- Sentences: text ending in a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
- Paragraphs: blocks of text separated by a blank line or line break.
- Top keywords: the most repeated words, ignoring common words like "the" and "and". This helps you spot overused words and check SEO keyword density.
Typical length guidelines
| Type of writing | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Tweet / X post | Up to 280 characters |
| Meta description (SEO) | 150–160 characters |
| Short blog post | 600–1,000 words |
| In-depth article | 1,500–2,500 words |
| College application essay | 250–650 words |
| 5-minute speech | About 650 words |
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
Any group of letters or numbers separated by spaces or punctuation counts as one word. Hyphenated words like "well-known" and contractions like "don't" count as a single word.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time assumes an average silent reading speed of about 238 words per minute. Speaking time assumes about 130 words per minute, a comfortable pace for presentations.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
No. Your text stays in your browser and is never sent anywhere. Closing the page clears it.
What are the character limits on social media?
As a rough guide: X (Twitter) posts allow 280 characters, Instagram captions 2,200, a LinkedIn post about 3,000 and an SEO meta description shows about 155–160 characters.