Word Counter – Free Online Word & Character Count Tool
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time instantly. Paste any text for a full analysis.
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Words
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Characters (with spaces)
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Characters (no spaces)
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Sentences
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Paragraphs
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Reading Time
Why Word Count Matters
Word count is a fundamental metric for writers, students, SEO practitioners, and content marketers. Whether you're hitting an academic essay minimum, optimising a blog post for search, or staying within a social media character limit, knowing your word count gives you a concrete target to work toward or a constraint to respect.
Word Count Goals by Content Type
| Content Type | Target Word Count |
|---|---|
| Tweet/Social post | 10–280 characters |
| Meta description | 120–160 characters |
| Blog post (basic) | 600–1,000 words |
| Blog post (SEO) | 1,200–2,500 words |
| Product description | 150–300 words |
| Academic essay | 1,000–5,000 words |
| Short story | 1,000–7,500 words |
| Novel | 50,000–100,000 words |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does word count affect SEO?
Google doesn't use word count as a direct ranking signal, but longer content tends to rank better because it covers a topic more thoroughly. For competitive keywords, aim for 1,500+ words. For simple queries with a clear answer, 500–800 words can outperform longer pages if the content is more focused.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are words counted? +
Words are counted by splitting text on whitespace and filtering empty tokens — the same method used by most word processors. Hyphenated words (e.g., 'well-known') count as one word. Numbers count as words.
How is reading time calculated? +
Reading time is calculated at 200 words per minute, which is the average adult silent reading speed. For skimming, the actual time is often 20–30% less. For dense technical content, allow 20–30% more.
Does this tool store my text? +
No. All processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is sent to any server.