How are words counted?

A word is a run of letters or numbers. Contractions like “don't” and hyphenated words like “well-known” count as one word, the way word processors count them. Emoji and punctuation are not words. Chinese and Japanese text is split into words by your browser's built-in dictionary.

Why can the character count differ from other tools?

This counter counts characters the way you see them: an emoji, a flag or an accented letter is one character, even when it is stored as several code units. Some tools count those code units instead, which makes “👨👩👧” count as 8.

How is reading time calculated?

Words divided by 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction found in a 2019 review of 190 studies. Speaking time uses 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or voice-over.

Free text tool

Word Counter

Count words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs, with reading and speaking time and a keyword preview.

Your text125 words

Words: 125; 91 unique
Characters: 726; 599 without spaces
Sentences: 9; 13.9 words each
Paragraphs: 4; 4.6 chars per word
Reading time: 32 sec; at 238 words/min
Speaking time: 54 sec; at 140 words/min

Top keywords

English stopwords removed

description4×3.23%
page3×2.42%
meta2×1.61%
short2×1.61%
write2×1.61%

Full keyword density with 2 and 3-word phrases →

Count words as you write

Paste or type your text and every number updates as you go: words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, and how long the text takes to read or say out loud. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing you paste leaves your device.

The keyword preview lists the words you repeat most, with common stopwords removed. For two and three-word phrases and a full table, open the keyword density checker.

Common length targets

Title tag: about 50–60 characters before Google cuts it off on desktop.
Meta description: about 150–160 characters.
Product description: 150–300 words is usually enough to answer the main questions.
Blog post: there is no ideal length. Cover the topic fully, then stop.

Frequently asked questions

How are words counted?: A word is a run of letters or numbers. Contractions like “don't” and hyphenated words like “well-known” count as one word, the way word processors count them. Emoji and punctuation are not words. Chinese and Japanese text is split into words by your browser's built-in dictionary.
Why can the character count differ from other tools?: This counter counts characters the way you see them: an emoji, a flag or an accented letter is one character, even when it is stored as several code units. Some tools count those code units instead, which makes “👨‍👩‍👧” count as 8.
How is reading time calculated?: Words divided by 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction found in a 2019 review of 190 studies. Speaking time uses 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or voice-over.