Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs instantly. Get reading and speaking time estimates for your content.
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Free Word Counter - Count Words, Characters & Reading Time
Our free word counter instantly counts words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in your text. Whether you're writing an essay, blog post, social media caption, or email, this tool helps you meet word limits and optimize your content length.
Simply paste or type your text above and watch the counts update in real-time. You'll also see estimated reading and speaking times, perfect for content creators, students, and professionals.
What This Word Counter Shows
- Word Count: Total number of words in your text
- Character Count: All characters including spaces
- Sentence Count: Counts periods, question marks, and exclamation points
- Paragraph Count: Based on line breaks in your text
- Reading Time: Estimated at 200 words per minute (average adult)
- Speaking Time: Estimated at 150 words per minute (presentation speed)
Word Count Guidelines by Content Type
Twitter: 280 chars • Instagram: 2,200 chars • LinkedIn: 3,000 chars
Short: 300-600 • Standard: 1,000-1,500 • Long-form: 2,000-3,000+ words
Essay: 500-2,000 • Research: 3,000-5,000 • Thesis: 10,000-20,000 words
Email: 50-125 • Resume: 400-800 • Cover letter: 250-400 words
Why Word Count Matters
- SEO Optimization: Search engines prefer comprehensive content (1,500-2,500 words for competitive keywords)
- Assignment Requirements: Meet academic word limits for essays and papers
- Social Media Limits: Stay within platform character restrictions
- Reader Engagement: Match content length to audience expectations
- Presentation Timing: Plan speech length based on word count
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you count words in text?
Our word counter splits your text by spaces and counts each word. It ignores extra spaces and empty strings to give you an accurate count.
Does the word count include numbers?
Yes, numbers separated by spaces are counted as words. For example, "I have 5 apples" counts as 4 words.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
At an average speaking pace of 150 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is approximately 750 words. Use our speaking time estimate to plan your presentations.
How many words should a blog post be?
For SEO, aim for 1,500-2,500 words for competitive topics. However, quality matters more than quantity – cover the topic thoroughly without padding.
What's the difference between words and characters?
Words are groups of characters separated by spaces. Characters include every letter, number, symbol, and space. "Hello World" = 2 words, 11 characters.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is based on the average adult reading speed of 200-250 words per minute. We use 200 WPM for a comfortable reading estimate.
Can I count words in a PDF or Word document?
Simply copy and paste the text from your document into the text area above. The word counter will analyze any pasted text instantly.
How many characters can I use on Twitter/X?
Twitter/X allows 280 characters per post. Use our character count to ensure your tweets fit within the limit.