Word Counter
Count words, characters, and paragraphs in your text. Get instant word count for essays, articles, and social media. Includes reading time estimate. Free online word counter.
Word counter
Counts
What is this?
A word counter counts words (split by whitespace), characters (including or excluding spaces), and paragraphs (blocks separated by blank lines). Reading time uses ~200 words per minute. Words are typically split by spaces, tabs, and newlines—each sequence of non-space characters counts as one word. Character count includes every character: letters, numbers, punctuation, spaces. Paragraphs are blocks separated by one or more blank lines. The tool updates instantly as you type or paste. No need to submit—just write and watch the counts. Essential for writers who work with limits.
When to use
Use for essays (meet word limits), blog posts (target length), social media (character limits), or SEO (meta descriptions ~155 chars). Example: 500 words ≈ 2.5 min read. Students meet assignment requirements. Bloggers hit target post length. Twitter users stay under 280 characters. SEO writers optimize meta descriptions. Authors track daily word count. Anyone writing for a platform with limits needs this. The reading time estimate helps readers decide if they have time. Paste any text for instant analysis.
How to use
Paste or type your text. Word count, character count, paragraph count, and estimated reading time update instantly. Useful for essays, blog posts, and meeting character limits.
Reading time ≈ words ÷ 200 WPM
Frequently asked questions
- Words are split by whitespace (spaces, tabs, newlines). Each sequence of non-space characters counts as one word.
- Adults typically read 200–250 words per minute. This tool uses 200 WPM for reading time estimates.
- Character limits matter for tweets (280), meta descriptions (~155), and some forms. Character count includes spaces.