Word and character counter
Type or paste your text and instantly get the number of words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and the estimated reading time. Everything is computed in your browser: your text never leaves your device.
How words are counted (and why the number sometimes doesn't match)
Counting words seems trivial until two programs give you two different figures for the same text. The reason is that each one decides for itself what counts as a "word". Here we follow the most common rule: the text is split by spaces and line breaks, and each block of characters counts as a word. So "€25" is two and "e-mail" is one, just as Word would count them.
Characters: the limit that really matters in many places
Alongside the word count you'll see characters with and without spaces, and that distinction matters more than it seems, because many platforms measure by characters. A tweet allows 280 characters, a meta description for Google is cut off at around 155-160 in the results, and a traditional SMS jumps to a second message once you pass 160. If you're writing for any of those, the character count is your real limit.
Reading time and where it comes from
The estimated time is based on an average speed of 200 words per minute, the usual figure for an adult reading on screen in their own language. It's a guide, not a law: heavy readers hit 250 or 300, and a technical text reads more slowly. Even so, it tells you at a glance whether a piece is a three-minute coffee read or a fifteen-minute deep dive.
Who uses it
The most common use is academic: essays and assignments with a word limit that has to be respected to the letter. Then come people writing for social media who trim to the exact character, those working in SEO who watch titles and descriptions, and translators and proofreaders, who charge by the word and need a reliable count. A tip: if your limit is strict, leave yourself a small margin, since not every program counts the same way. What you paste here never leaves your browser.