Word Counter & Character Counter
Updated · Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser
Paste or type your text to count words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs and lines instantly.
It also estimates reading and speaking time and can track a word limit for essays, applications and social posts. Your text never leaves your browser.
- Words
- 0
- Characters
- 0
- Characters (no spaces)
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Paragraphs
- 0
- Lines
- 0
- Reading time
- 0 sec
- Speaking time
- 0 sec
Words to pages and reading time
Approximate, for 12-pt font. Reading at 238 words per minute, speaking at 150 words per minute.
| Words | Pages (single-spaced) | Pages (double-spaced) | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0.5 | 1 | 1.1 min | 1.7 min |
| 500 | 1 | 2 | 2.1 min | 3.3 min |
| 750 | 1.5 | 3 | 3.2 min | 5 min |
| 1,000 | 2 | 4 | 4.2 min | 6.7 min |
| 1,500 | 3 | 6 | 6.3 min | 10 min |
| 2,000 | 4 | 8 | 8.4 min | 13.3 min |
| 3,000 | 6 | 12 | 12.6 min | 20 min |
| 5,000 | 10 | 20 | 21 min | 33.3 min |
Worked examples
"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
- 9 words, 1 sentence
→ 44 characters, 36 without spaces
A 650-word college essay
- 650 ÷ 238 words per minute
→ about 2.7 minutes to read
A 1,500-word speech
- 1,500 ÷ 150 words per minute
→ about 10 minutes to deliver
Contractions like don't and well-known
- Joined by an apostrophe or hyphen
→ counted as 1 word each
How words and characters are counted
- Words are runs of letters or numbers. Contractions (don’t) and hyphenated words (well-known) count as one word.
- Characters with spaces include every visible character, space and line break; emoji count as one character.
- Sentences end with a period, question mark or exclamation mark.
- Paragraphs are separated by a blank line.
Common word and character limits
- Common App personal essay: 650 words
- X (Twitter) post: 280 characters
- Instagram caption: 2,200 characters
- Meta description for SEO: about 150–160 characters
Limits change from time to time, so check the current rules of the site or school you are writing for.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
It counts runs of letters and numbers. Words joined by an apostrophe or hyphen count as one, and standalone symbols like "—" or "&" are not counted.
Does character count include spaces?
Both are shown: "Characters" includes spaces and line breaks; "Characters (no spaces)" excludes all whitespace.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced in a 12-pt font. Fonts and margins change the exact number.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4.2 minutes at an average silent reading speed of 238 words per minute, or about 6.7 minutes read aloud.
Does it work with other languages?
Yes. Characters are counted for any language. Word counts work best for languages that separate words with spaces.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
No. Counting happens in your browser. Your text is not stored, uploaded or tracked, and it disappears when you close the page.