How do I count words and characters?
Paste your text here; words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and reading time update as you type. Emoji and accented letters count as one character each.
- Paste or type your text.
- Read the counts at the top.
- Check the bars for the platform you are writing for.
- Use the most used words list to spot repetition.
- Clear and start again with one click.
Examples
Meta description check
A 172 character description shows as over by 12 against the 160 character guidance, so trim a clause before publishing.
Frequently asked questions
How is reading time worked out?
Word count divided by 238 words per minute, a commonly cited average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction.
Do emoji count as one character?
Here, yes. Some platforms count certain emoji as two characters, so leave a small margin under hard limits.
What counts as a word?
Runs of letters or numbers, using your browser's word segmenter where available. Hyphenated words and contractions count as one.
Is my text stored?
No. Nothing is saved or sent. Closing the tab clears it.