Word counter

What is this tool?

Measure the length of a draft while you write or revise it. The page displays multiple counts because a word limit and a character limit are different constraints. It also gives a rough reading-time estimate.

How to use it

1. Read the input labels and limits below, then choose the operation that matches your task.
2. Paste or type the text you want to measure.
3. Read the word and character counts as the input updates.
4. Check the final text in the submission system if it enforces its own counting rules.
5. Check the result against the worked example or original file before copying, downloading or using it elsewhere.

Worked example

A social profile may have a character limit while an essay asks for words. Spaces can count toward one limit even when you do not notice them visually. Use the metric matching the destination rather than relying on the largest number.

Questions & limits

How to use word counter

Paste your draft to see the counts update as you type. Words are counted as whitespace-separated tokens. Characters include spaces and punctuation; the second character count excludes whitespace. Reading time assumes 200 words per minute and rounds up to the nearest minute.

A practical example

A 600-word article has an estimated reading time of 3 minutes. A hyphenated term counts as one word when it has no spaces.

Know the limits

Counts may differ from Microsoft Word or submission platforms, especially for hyphenated terms and languages without spaces. Reading time is an estimate, not a measure of comprehension.

Tool documentation updated October 4, 2026.

Why might word counts differ between apps?

Apps can treat punctuation, hyphens and languages without spaces differently. Use this count as a quick estimate and check the required submission system for an official limit.

Is reading time exact?

No. The estimate assumes a fixed pace. Technical material, diagrams, unfamiliar vocabulary and careful proofreading can take longer than casual reading.

Review before copying

Keep the original draft while you work. Plain-text utilities cannot preserve document styling, comments or tracked changes from the source application. After processing, scan the beginning and end of the output as well as any important names or numbers. Choose the final text deliberately before pasting it into another system. A successful operation confirms the requested text transformation, not the correctness of the writing or its suitability for publication. Your destination application may apply its own formatting or counting rules.