Word Counter
Paste or type your text and the counts appear as you go. Nothing leaves your browser.
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The formula
Reading time = words / 238 per minute. Speaking time = words / 130 per minute.
What you get
- Word, character (with and without spaces), sentence and paragraph counts
- Estimated reading time and speaking time
- Your most frequently used words, ignoring common ones like "the" and "and"
Common length targets
| What | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Tweet or X post | 280 characters |
| Meta description | about 155 characters |
| College application essay | 250 to 650 words |
| Blog post | 1,000 to 2,000 words |
| Short story | 1,000 to 7,500 words |
How words are counted
A word is any run of characters separated by spaces or line breaks, which matches what most word processors do. Hyphenated words count as one. Different tools can differ by a few words on tricky text.
Examples to check
Type these into the calculator above to see how it behaves. Every result below was produced by the same calculator code that runs on this page.
| What you enter | What you get |
|---|---|
| Paste or type your text: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. | Words: 23 |
Word Counter: frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About four minutes at an average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute.
Is my text saved?
No. It is only counted in your browser.
How accurate is this estimate?
It is as accurate as the numbers you give it. Real-world amounts such as paint, concrete or fuel vary, so allow a margin.
Is what I enter in this tool saved or sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, so what you enter is not sent to our servers. We only count, anonymously, whether a tool ran successfully.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up and has no usage limit.
Last reviewed: October 3, 2026