Word Counter
Paste or type text to see live counts of words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, plus estimated reading and speaking time — handy for essays, speeches, subtitles and word-limited forms.
How it works
Words are counted by splitting on whitespace. Sentences are counted by looking for sentence-ending punctuation (. ! ?), and paragraphs by blank lines. Reading and speaking time are estimated from the word count using standard average speeds.
Worked example
A 500-word article takes roughly 2.5 minutes to read silently and just under 4 minutes to read aloud — useful for checking a speech fits its time slot before you're standing at the podium.
Word-limited platforms make this genuinely useful too — a job application field capped at 250 words, a social post capped at a character count, or an academic abstract with a strict limit are all easier to hit exactly when the count updates as you type instead of after you submit.
Common questions
How is reading time calculated?
Using an average adult silent reading speed of 200 words per minute. Actual speed varies with the difficulty of the text and the reader.
How is speaking time calculated?
Using an average spoken pace of 130 words per minute, a common benchmark for presentations and speeches.
Does this count words as I type?
Yes, every count updates live with no need to click anything.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser — nothing you type is transmitted or stored.
Why does my word count differ slightly from Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
Word processors have their own rules for what counts as a "word" — how they treat hyphenated terms, numbers, or standalone punctuation can differ slightly between tools. The counts here use a straightforward whitespace-split, which matches most word processors closely but not always exactly.