Tool 015 / text / free / runs locally
Word Counter
Paste or type text to see live word, character, sentence, and paragraph counts. It also estimates reading time. Everything is counted in your browser, so your text never leaves your device.
How it works
This counter analyses your text live as you type and reports words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, and an estimated reading time. Nothing is sent anywhere; the counting runs on each keystroke in your browser, which is why it updates instantly and works on private drafts.
Each statistic uses a clear rule. Words are runs of non-whitespace separated by spaces. Characters with spaces is the raw length; without spaces strips all whitespace. Sentences are counted by terminal punctuation (. ! ?). Paragraphs are blocks separated by blank lines. Reading time assumes 200 words per minute, a common average for silent reading of general text, rounded up to at least one minute.
These rules are deliberately simple and language-agnostic, which makes them fast and predictable. They match what most writing platforms count, so the word total here lines up with the count you would see in a typical editor.
How to use it
- Type or paste your text into the input box.
- Watch the six stat cards update on every keystroke.
- Use the word count to hit a target length and the reading time to gauge pacing.
- Edit in place; the numbers stay in sync as you go.
Worked examples
Input: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Output: Words 9, Characters 44, Characters without spaces 36, Sentences 1, Paragraphs 1, Reading time about 1 min.
A single sentence ending in one period counts as one sentence.
Input: A 1000-word article pasted in
Output: Words 1000 and Reading time about 5 min (1000 divided by 200).
Reading time uses 200 words per minute.
Edge cases and limits
- Sentence detection keys off . ! and ?, so an abbreviation like Dr. or a decimal like 3.5 can be miscounted as a sentence break.
- Word counting splits on whitespace, so hyphenated terms like state-of-the-art count as one word and an em rule with no spaces around it can join two words.
- Reading time is a flat 200 words per minute and always rounds up to at least 1 minute; dense technical text reads slower than that estimate.
- Languages without spaces between words (such as Chinese or Japanese) will undercount words because the split relies on whitespace.
Common mistakes
- Expecting the sentence count to be perfect on text full of abbreviations or ellipses; punctuation-based counting is an approximation.
- Assuming reading time reflects your audience exactly. Treat it as a rough pacing guide, not a guarantee.
- Counting a list of single words on separate lines as multiple paragraphs; paragraphs require a blank line between blocks.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter define a word?+
A word is any run of non-whitespace characters separated by spaces, tabs, or line breaks. This matches how most word processors and essay graders count words.
Does it count characters with or without spaces?+
Both. We show the total character count including spaces and a separate count excluding spaces, so you can match different platform limits.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?+
No. The counting runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. We never send, log, or store the text you paste.
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