Productive ToolboxWord Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time instantly. Free online word counter — no sign-up required, runs entirely in your browser.
Pages assume 12 pt type and 1-inch margins (about 500 words single-spaced, 250 double-spaced).
Character limits
- SEO title tag0 / 60
- Meta description0 / 160
- SMS (one segment)0 / 160
- X post0 / 280
- Instagram caption0 / 2,200
- LinkedIn post0 / 3,000
Limits as published in 2026; platforms change them.
Most used words
Start typing to see which words you repeat.
Next step
Related tools
What This Word Counter Does
Paste or type any text and the counter shows words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs as you type. Below the counts it works out what those numbers mean in practice: reading and speaking time, how many pages the text fills, how close you are to a word goal, whether it fits common character limits such as a meta description or an X post, and which words you repeat most.
We do not collect or store what you enter. The text is never uploaded; your draft and goal are kept in this browser's storage so they are still there if you close the tab, and the Reset button clears them.
How Each Number Is Counted
- Words — runs of non-space characters separated by spaces, tabs or line breaks. "Well-known" is one word; "e.g." is one word.
- Characters — every character, including spaces and line breaks. An emoji or accented letter counts as one.
- Sentences — groups ending in a period, question mark or exclamation mark, so abbreviations like "Dr." add one.
- Paragraphs — blocks separated by a blank line.
- Reading time — words ÷ 200 per minute, a typical adult silent-reading pace.
- Speaking time — words ÷ 130 per minute, a comfortable presentation pace.
- Pages — about 500 words single-spaced or 250 double-spaced, assuming 12 pt type and 1-inch margins.
- Most used words — case-insensitive counts, optionally skipping common words like "the" and "and".
How to Use the Word Counter
- 1Paste or type your text: Click into the editor and paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V) or start typing. Every count updates as you type, with no button to press.
- 2Read the counts: The tiles show words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and reading time. Below them you get speaking time, single- and double-spaced pages, unique words and average sentence length.
- 3Set a word goal: Type the length you need into Word goal, for example 1500. The bar fills as you write and shows how many words are left or how far over you are.
- 4Check character limits: The Character limits panel compares your text with a title tag, meta description, SMS, X post, Instagram caption and LinkedIn post, and turns red when you go over.
- 5Spot repeated words: Most used words lists the ten words you use most, with common words like "the" skipped by default, so you can vary overused terms.
- 6Copy or clear: Copy Results copies every count to the clipboard. Your draft and goal stay saved in this browser until you press Reset.
Typical Lengths and Words to Pages
| Format | Typical length | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Tweet-length summary | 35–55 words | About 280 characters |
| Meta description | 20–25 words | About 155–160 characters |
| College application essay (Common App) | 250–650 words | Common App personal statement limit |
| High school essay | 500–1,000 words | |
| Undergraduate essay | 1,500–3,000 words | |
| Blog post | 800–2,000 words | Long guides often run past 2,500 |
| 5-minute speech | 600–750 words | At 125–150 words per minute |
| Academic abstract | 150–300 words | Set by the journal or school |
Typical ranges only — an assignment brief or style guide always takes priority.
| Words | Single | Double |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | 0.5 | 1 |
| 500 | 1 | 2 |
| 750 | 1.5 | 3 |
| 1,000 | 2 | 4 |
| 1,500 | 3 | 6 |
| 2,000 | 4 | 8 |
| 2,500 | 5 | 10 |
| 3,000 | 6 | 12 |
| 5,000 | 10 | 20 |
Pages at 12 pt, 1-inch margins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this word counter count?
Words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, reading time and speaking time, plus single- and double-spaced pages, unique words, average sentence length and your most used words. All of it updates as you type.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced, assuming 12 pt type and 1-inch margins. As a rule of thumb, a single-spaced page holds about 500 words and a double-spaced page about 250. Font, headings and paragraph breaks move the real number up or down.
How is reading time calculated?
Word count divided by 200 words per minute, a typical adult silent-reading pace. A 1,000-word article takes about 5 minutes. The tile rounds up to the next minute; the detail panel shows minutes and seconds.
How long does it take to say my speech?
The speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a comfortable presentation pace; most people speak at 125–150. A 5-minute talk needs roughly 600–750 words and a 10-minute talk 1,250–1,500. Rehearse once with a timer to find your own pace.
What is the difference between characters with and without spaces?
With spaces counts everything, including spaces and line breaks. Without spaces counts only letters, digits, punctuation and symbols. Social networks, SMS and meta descriptions limit characters with spaces; some forms and translation quotes use the count without spaces.
Does an emoji count as one character?
Here, yes: each emoji or accented letter counts as one character. Some platforms weigh them differently. X counts most emoji as two characters, and a single emoji switches an SMS to a format that allows 70 characters per segment instead of 160.
How does the word goal work?
Enter the number of words you need. The progress bar fills as you write and shows how many words remain, or how many you are over once you pass the goal. The goal is remembered in this browser.
What does the most used words list show?
The ten words that appear most often, with how many times and what share of all words. Common words such as "the", "and" and "of" are skipped unless you untick Skip common words. Use it to catch a term you repeat too often.
How do I count words in Google Docs or Word?
In Google Docs use Tools > Word count (Ctrl+Shift+C, or Cmd+Shift+C on a Mac). In Microsoft Word the count is in the status bar, or under Review > Word Count. For text from anywhere else, such as an email, web page or PDF, paste it here.
How do I count words in a PDF?
Open the PDF, select all text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A), copy it and paste it into the editor. Scanned PDFs contain images rather than text, so they need OCR first; the image to text tool on this site can extract it.
What word count should an essay be?
Follow the assignment. As typical ranges, high school essays run 500–1,000 words, undergraduate essays 1,500–3,000, and the Common App personal statement allows 250–650. Set the required length as your word goal to track it while you write.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
We do not collect or store what you enter. Any history the tool keeps is visible only to you.
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