How the word counter works
Type or paste text and the counts update instantly. Words are counted by splitting on spaces, so hyphenated words like "well-known" count as one. Reading time assumes about 238 words per minute, and speaking time assumes about 140 words per minute, which are typical averages for adults.
Common length limits
- Many school essays have a limit of 500, 1,000 or 1,500 words.
- Keep meta descriptions to about 150 to 160 characters so search results don't cut them off.
- Each social platform has its own character limit, so check the character count before posting.
Frequently asked questions
Does the word counter save my text?
No. Counting happens in your browser and your text is never uploaded.
Are numbers counted as words?
Yes. Any group of characters separated by spaces counts as a word, including numbers.
How is reading time calculated?
We divide the word count by an average silent reading speed of about 238 words per minute and round up.