Word & Character Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time as you type.
About This Tool
The Word & Character Counter gives a live count of words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading time as you type or paste. It is handy for essays with word limits, social posts with character caps, meta descriptions, and SEO copy.
Everything runs in your browser, so your text is never uploaded or stored. Reading time assumes an average of about 200 words per minute.
- check_circleLive word and character counts
- check_circleCounts sentences, paragraphs, and reading time
- check_circleCharacter count with and without spaces
- check_circleRuns fully in your browser, nothing uploaded
The limits people actually count for
Most visits to a word counter are about a specific ceiling: a college essay capped at 500 words, an IELTS task that penalises under 250, a meta description that Google truncates around 160 characters, or a bio field that stops accepting input at 150. The counter updates on every keystroke, so the practical workflow is to paste your draft, check the number, and edit live in the box until you land inside the limit — the counts follow along as you cut. Character counts are shown both with and without spaces because forms disagree on which one they enforce; when a portal just says "150 characters", assume spaces count.
Why different tools give slightly different counts
There is no universal rule for what one "word" is. This tool counts any run of characters separated by spaces or line breaks, so state-of-the-art is one word and 1,000 is one word. Microsoft Word counts the same way, but some exam portals split hyphenated words, count numbers differently, or ignore text in headers. If you are writing against a strict limit enforced by someone else's system, leave a margin of a few words rather than landing exactly on the cap.
Common word and character limits
| Where you're writing | Limit |
|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post | 280 characters |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| Google title tag | ≈ 60 characters before truncation |
| Meta description | ≈ 155–160 characters |
| IELTS Writing Task 2 | 250 words minimum |
| Statement of purpose (typical) | 500–1,000 words |
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a word counted? expand_more
Any group of characters separated by spaces or line breaks counts as one word. Multiple spaces are ignored.
How is reading time calculated? expand_more
Reading time is estimated using an average reading speed of about 200 words per minute.
Is my text uploaded anywhere? expand_more
No. All counting happens in your browser. The text never leaves your device.