Free Online Word Counter with Real-Time Statistics

Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and lines in real-time with our free online word counter. Get instant reading time estimates, detailed text statistics, and comprehensive text analysis. Perfect for writers, students, bloggers, content creators, and anyone working with text.

Key Features

📊 7 Key Metrics

Total characters (with spaces)
Characters without spaces
Word count
Line count
Sentence count
Paragraph count
Reading time estimate

⏱ Reading Time

Average reading speed (200 WPM)
Instant time calculation
Perfect for blog posts
Plan content length
Estimate article duration

⚡ Real-Time Analysis

Instant updates as you type
No refresh needed
Live statistics display
Immediate feedback
Performance optimized

💾 Export Options

Download as .txt file
Export as .md (Markdown)
Save as .html
JSON format with stats
Stats report export

🛡️ Privacy & Security

100% browser-based
No server uploads
Data never stored
Complete privacy
Secure processing

🛠️ Utility Features

One-click copy to clipboard
Sample text loader
Clear all button
No character limits
Dark mode support

Why Use Our Word Counter?

100% Free & Unlimited: Count words in unlimited text without registration, ads, or character restrictions. All features completely free forever.

Real-Time Counting: See word count, character count, and all statistics update instantly as you type or paste text.

Comprehensive Statistics: Get 7 key metrics including characters, words, lines, sentences, paragraphs, reading time, and more.

Reading Time Estimates: Plan blog posts, articles, and speeches with accurate reading time calculations based on 200 words per minute.

Privacy Protected: All counting happens in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, stored, or transmitted to any server.

Multiple Export Formats: Download your text with statistics as TXT, Markdown, HTML, JSON, or as a stats report.

How to Use the Word Counter

Paste or Type Text: Enter or paste your text into the large text area.
View Real-Time Stats: Watch statistics update instantly as you type or edit.
Check All Metrics: Review the 7 stat cards showing characters, words, lines, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time.
Copy or Export: Click "Copy" to clipboard or choose from 5 export formats (TXT, MD, HTML, JSON, Stats).
Clear When Done: Use "Clear" button to reset and start counting new text.

Understanding the Statistics

Characters: Total number of characters including letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces. Used for social media limits (Twitter, SMS).

Characters (No Spaces): Total characters excluding spaces. Some platforms count this way. Useful for measuring actual content density.

Words: Number of words separated by spaces. Most common metric for essays, articles, and assignments.

Lines: Number of line breaks in the text. Includes all lines, even empty ones. Useful for poetry and formatted text.

Sentences: Number of sentences based on punctuation (periods, exclamation marks, question marks). Helps assess text complexity.

Paragraphs: Number of paragraphs separated by blank lines. Useful for analyzing document structure and readability.

Reading Time: Estimated time to read the text at 200 words per minute (average adult reading speed).

Common Use Cases

Academic Writing: Meet essay word count requirements, check assignment length, ensure papers meet minimum/maximum word counts for college and university submissions.

Blog & Content Writing: Plan article length, estimate reading time for reader engagement, optimize content for SEO (Google favors 1500+ word articles), track progress toward target word counts.

Social Media Posts: Stay within character limits for Twitter (280), Instagram captions (2200), Facebook (63,206), LinkedIn posts, TikTok descriptions, and other platforms.

Professional Writing: Track report lengths, monitor proposal word counts, ensure resume is concise, verify cover letter length, check business document compliance.

Creative Writing: Monitor novel chapter lengths, track daily writing goals, plan short story submissions (many have word limits), analyze poetry line counts.

Email & Messaging: Keep emails concise, check message length before sending, ensure important communications aren't too long, verify text fits SMS limits.

Speeches & Presentations: Calculate speech duration (200 words = 1 minute speaking), plan presentation timing, ensure speeches fit time slots.

Perfect For

Students & academics
Bloggers & content writers
Journalists & reporters
Authors & novelists
Copywriters & marketers
Social media managers

SEO specialists
Technical writers
Editors & proofreaders
Public speakers
Business professionals
Anyone working with text

Character Limits for Popular Platforms

Twitter/X: 280 characters per tweet (280 chars standard, 4000 for Premium)

Instagram: 2,200 characters for captions, 150 for bios

Facebook: 63,206 characters for posts, 101 for page names

LinkedIn: 3,000 characters for posts, 2,600 for articles (first paragraph)

TikTok: 2,200 characters for video descriptions

Pinterest: 500 characters for pin descriptions

YouTube: 5,000 characters for video descriptions

SMS: 160 characters per text message

Word Count Guidelines by Content Type

Blog Posts: 1,500-2,500 words for SEO optimization, 500-800 for quick reads, 2,500+ for comprehensive guides and pillar content.

Essays: 500 words (high school), 1,000-1,500 (college), 2,000-3,000 (university), varies by assignment.

Novels: 70,000-100,000 words (typical novel), 50,000 (NaNoWriMo minimum), 80,000-100,000 (debut novel sweet spot).

Short Stories: 1,000-7,500 words (standard), <1,000 (flash fiction), 7,500-20,000 (novelette).

Business Reports: 1,500-3,000 words (standard report), 500-1,000 (executive summary), 5,000+ (comprehensive analysis).

Resumes: 400-600 words (1 page), 600-800 (experienced professionals), never exceed 2 pages unless academic CV.

Reading Time & Speaking Time

Average Reading Speed: 200-250 words per minute (adults), 150-200 (technical content), 300+ (speed readers)

Speaking Speed: 150-160 words per minute (average speech), 120-130 (slow/clear), 160-200 (fast speakers)

Public Speaking: 130-150 WPM for presentations and speeches (allows for pauses and emphasis)

Audio Books: 150-160 WPM (typical narration speed)

Planning: 1,000 words = ~5 minutes reading or ~7 minutes speaking

Pro Tips for Content Writers

Set Target Word Counts: Establish clear goals before writing. SEO articles: 1,500-2,000 words. Blog posts: 800-1,200.
Monitor as You Write: Keep the word counter open while writing to track progress toward your goal.
Check Reading Time: Aim for 7-10 minute reads (1,400-2,000 words) for optimal engagement on most platforms.
Use Paragraph Count: Average 3-5 sentences per paragraph for web content. Too many paragraphs = choppy. Too few = wall of text.
Balance Sentence Length: Vary sentence lengths. Short sentences add impact. Longer sentences provide detail and flow.
Remove Filler Words: Compare word count with character count. High ratio = wordy. Tighten prose by cutting unnecessary words.
Track Daily Progress: Writers often set 500-1,000 word daily goals. Use the counter to measure progress.
Export with Stats: Download "Stats" format to keep records of your writing sessions and progress.

SEO & Content Optimization

Google's Sweet Spot: Studies show articles between 1,500-2,500 words rank higher in Google search results. Longer content provides more value and covers topics comprehensively.

Minimum for SEO: Aim for at least 300 words for SEO value, though 1,000+ is better. Thin content (<300 words) may be penalized or not rank well.

Pillar Content: Create comprehensive guides of 3,000-5,000+ words for important topics. These become authoritative resources that attract backlinks.

Reading Time UX: Display reading time on blog posts ("5 min read") to help users decide if they have time to read, improving engagement.

Best Practices

Quality Over Quantity: Don't pad content just to hit word counts. Focus on value, clarity, and reader satisfaction.
Check Multiple Metrics: Don't just count words. Review sentences (for complexity), paragraphs (for structure), and reading time.
Platform-Specific Optimization: Tailor content length to the platform. Twitter: concise. Blog: comprehensive. Email: scannable.
Edit Ruthlessly: First drafts are often too long. Use word counter to measure before/after editing to track improvement.
Consider Your Audience: Technical audiences can handle longer, denser content. General audiences prefer shorter, clearer writing.
Break Up Long Content: If word count exceeds 3,000, consider breaking into a series or using clear subheadings.
Regular Monitoring: Check word count during writing, editing, and final review stages.

Export & Download Options

TXT: Plain text format. Universal compatibility. Perfect for simple text backup or sharing.

Markdown (.md): Formatted text with Markdown syntax. Ideal for developers, GitHub, and static site generators.

HTML: Web-ready format with proper HTML structure. Can be opened in browsers or embedded in websites.

JSON: Includes both text and all statistics in structured format. Perfect for programmatic use or data analysis.

Stats Report: Text file with complete statistics followed by your content. Great for keeping records of writing sessions.

🔒 Complete Privacy Guarantee

All word counting and text analysis happens entirely in your web browser using JavaScript. Your text is never uploaded to our servers, stored in databases, logged, or transmitted to any third party. Everything processes locally on your device, ensuring complete privacy for your essays, articles, creative writing, and sensitive documents.

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