Free online word counter. Paste or type your text and instantly see your word count, character count, sentence count, paragraph count and estimated reading time. Updates live as you type — no button to press.
How to Use This Word Counter
Simply start typing or paste your text into the box above. All stats update automatically as you type. You do not need to press any button. Use the platform limit buttons to check your text against Twitter, SMS, Meta Description or SEO title character limits.
What This Word Counter Shows You
This tool counts words, total characters, characters without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and estimated reading time. It also shows unique word count, average word length, your longest and shortest word, average sentence length, uppercase and lowercase letter counts, and your top 10 most frequently used words.
Reading Time and Speaking Time
This word counter calculates three different time estimates. Slow reader speed is based on 100 words per minute. Average reader speed is based on 238 words per minute which is the commonly accepted average adult reading speed. Speaking speed is based on 130 words per minute which is a typical presentation or speech pace.
Platform Character Limits
Different platforms have different character limits. Twitter and X allows 280 characters per post. A standard SMS text message is 160 characters. A Google meta description should be between 150 and 155 characters for best SEO results. An SEO page title should ideally be under 60 characters to display fully in Google search results. Use the limit buttons above the text box to check your content against any of these limits.
Who Uses a Word Counter
Word counters are used by students checking essay word counts for assignments, bloggers making sure articles meet minimum length requirements, content writers checking SEO article targets, social media managers staying within character limits, authors tracking their writing progress, teachers setting writing tasks, translators estimating project size, and anyone who needs to know exactly how long their text is.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I count words in a document? Paste your text into the word counter above. The word count updates instantly as soon as you paste.
Does this word counter include spaces in the character count? Yes. The Characters count includes spaces. The No Spaces count shows characters without any spaces. Both are displayed side by side.
How is reading time calculated? Reading time is calculated by dividing your word count by 238 which is the average adult reading speed in words per minute. The tool also shows slow reader time at 100 words per minute and speaking time at 130 words per minute.
What is the top words feature? The top words section shows the 10 most frequently used words in your text. Common words like the, and, a, is and other stop words are excluded so you only see your meaningful content words.
Does this work for all languages? The word count and character count work for all languages. The top words feature and stop word filtering is optimised for English.
Is this word counter free? Completely free. No sign up, no login, no limits. Works entirely in your browser.
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Last updated: March 2026 · Free tool by AllTheTools.com