Word counter

Count words, characters, sentences and reading time

Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

How it works

Paste or type your text to count its words, characters, sentences and paragraphs as you go. Reading time assumes 238 words a minute, a typical silent reading speed for adults. Your text stays in your browser, so this is safe to use with private drafts.

reading time = words ÷ 238 words a minute

We use your browser’s language rules to find words and sentences, so Hindi and other languages count properly. An emoji counts as one character, even when it’s made of several parts.

Speaking time assumes about 150 words a minute. Real speakers vary, so treat it as a guide.

Worked example. A text of 476 words takes 476 ÷ 238 = 2 min to read. Speaking it at 150 words a minute takes longer.

Examples

Text	Words	Sentences	Paragraphs
One short sentence here.	4	1	1
A first sentence. Then a second one. And a third.	10	3	1
Two paragraphs. ¶ The second has two sentences. This is the last.	11	3	2

What this tool doesn’t cover

Reading and speaking times are estimates.
Sentence counts can be thrown off by abbreviations such as “Dr.”

Questions

Does this count spaces as characters?

Characters include spaces. Without spaces shows the count that leaves them out.

Is my text uploaded?

No. Counting happens in your browser, and your text isn’t saved or sent anywhere.

How long does a 1,000 word text take to read?

About 4 minutes 12 seconds at 238 words a minute.

How many words are on a page?

About 500 words fit on a single-spaced page, and about 250 on a double-spaced page. It depends on the font and margins.

Does hyphenated text count as one word?

No. This counter follows Unicode word rules, so “well-known” counts as two words. Word processors often count it as one, so totals can differ a little.

Was this useful?

Built by QuickToolz.

Sources: Brysbaert (2019), How many words do we read per minute? (opens in a new tab)