Word Counter
Free online word counter tool. Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs instantly with keyword density analysis.
How this counter treats your text
Spaces, tabs and line breaks separate words. For example, “One well-written sentence.” is 3 words. A hyphenated word counts once; punctuation attached to a word does not add another word.
Character totals include whitespace. “No Spaces” removes spaces, tabs and line breaks. Emoji can occupy more than one character in this count. Languages written without spaces need a language-specific word counter.
Reading time uses 238 words per minute and speaking time uses 150. Page counts assume 500 words per page. Sentence detection and English readability scores are estimates; formatting and your audience can change the result.
Cleaning text copied from a PDF? Remove unwanted line breaks before counting. For model input limits, use the token counter.
About the Word Counter
This word counter counts whitespace-separated words, characters, sentences and paragraphs as you type. Whether you are writing an essay, a blog post, or a social media caption, this tool gives you real-time results without sending your text to any server. We also provide reading and speaking time estimates, pages estimation, average word and sentence length, readability grade level, and keyword density analysis — perfect for content optimization and SEO writing.
Features
- Real-time word and character counting as you type
- Character count with and without spaces
- Sentence and paragraph detection with counts
- Pages estimation based on 500 words per page standard
- Reading time (238 words/min) and speaking time (150 words/min)
- Average word length and average sentence length
- Readability grade level using Flesch-Kincaid formula
- Keyword density analysis showing top 5 most used words
- 100% private — all processing in your browser
How to use this tool
The Word Counter works right in your browser — no signup, no installation. Follow these steps:
- Type or paste your text into the text area above — there is no character limit.
- View instant stats showing words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs updated in real time.
- Check reading time and speaking time estimates below the main stats.
- Review keyword density to see which words appear most often in your text.
- Click Copy to copy your text or Clear to start fresh with new content.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this word counter?
Our word counter uses standard word counting rules. Words are defined as sequences of non-whitespace characters separated by spaces. Counts can differ from Microsoft Word or Google Docs around punctuation, symbols and languages without spaces. Treat sentence and readability results as estimates.
Does this count hyphenated words correctly?
Yes. Hyphenated words like "state-of-the-art" are counted as one word, which matches the standard convention used by most writing tools and style guides.
Can I count words from a PDF or Word document?
Yes. Simply open your document, select all text (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A), copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C), and paste into the text area above. The word counter works with any pasted text regardless of source.
Is my text stored on your server?
No. All text processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. We never see, store, log, or transmit your text to any server. Your privacy is guaranteed.
What is the difference between character count with and without spaces?
Character count with spaces includes every character — letters, numbers, spaces, tabs, and line breaks. Character count without spaces excludes all whitespace characters, giving you the pure text content length. Some platforms count one way, some the other — we show both.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is an estimate using 238 words per minute and rounded up to the next minute. Your reading speed may differ. Speaking time uses 150 words per minute, a standard average for spoken presentations.
Using the results
Accurate counting is only useful if it is instant and trustworthy. The Word Counter updates as you type and runs entirely in your browser, so even long documents are measured in real time and your text is never uploaded, logged, or shared.