Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and reading time instantly — right in your browser.
What is it?
A word counter is a small utility that analyzes a piece of text and returns a set of statistics about it: number of words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and an estimated reading or speaking time. Our free online word counter runs entirely in your browser, so whatever you paste stays on your device. It is ideal for writers, students, marketers, translators and anyone working with length requirements, such as essay limits, SEO meta descriptions or social media posts. You can count words in English, Italian, French, German, Spanish or Portuguese — the tool handles accented characters and common punctuation gracefully.
How to use it
- Paste or type your text into the input box. The counter updates in real time.
- Check the live metrics — words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time and speaking time — below the input.
- Use the “Clear” button to start over or the “Copy stats” button to copy the numbers.
- To count only a selection, select the text you want to measure inside the text area and read the “Selection” numbers.
- If you want to count a file, open it and paste the content in — the tool does not upload anything.
Why use this tool
Writers use word counters to hit specific lengths for articles, academic essays or book chapters. Marketers and SEOs check the length of meta titles, descriptions and tweets to stay within platform limits. Translators often price projects by the word, so an accurate, instant count is essential to quote jobs correctly. Students rely on word counters to meet minimum or maximum requirements set by teachers, and social media managers use them to stay under the character ceiling of each network. A good word counter should be fast, private and precise, so you can focus on writing rather than on counting. Because our tool works entirely client side, there is no wait time and nothing ever leaves your device. You can use it offline once the page has loaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is the word counter free?
Yes. Our word counter is completely free to use, with no sign up and no usage limits.
Does the tool send my text to a server?
No. All calculations happen in your browser. We never upload, store or send your text anywhere.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is based on an average adult reading speed of about 225 words per minute. Speaking time uses a slower 150 words per minute rate, closer to natural speech pace.
Does it count compound words as one or two?
The counter splits on whitespace and punctuation, so a hyphenated compound like “state-of-the-art” counts as one word. Words separated by a space are counted separately.
Can I use it on mobile?
Yes. The interface is fully responsive and works the same on phones, tablets and desktops. Everything runs locally, so it is fast on any device.