Text tools · free

Word counter

Words, characters, reading time and the limits that matter — all updating as you type.

Your text

Type or paste. Nothing is uploaded — the counting happens on your own computer.

Example: paste a blog draft, an email or a meta description
wpm
Example: 225 — average silent reading. Use 130 for reading aloud.

Counts

Words0
CharactersIncluding spaces0
CharactersWithout spaces0
Sentences0
Paragraphs0
Reading time0 sec
Speaking timeAt 130 words a minute0 sec
Average words per sentence0

Against common limits

How long should it be?

What you are writingSensible length
Page title50–60 characters
Meta description140–155 characters
Blog post that ranks1,200–2,000 words
Landing page500–900 words
Cold emailUnder 125 words
Product description150–300 words

These are starting points, not rules. A 600-word page that answers the question fully will beat a 2,000-word page padded to hit a target.

The number that actually predicts readability

Not word count — words per sentence. Somewhere around 15 to 20 is comfortable for most people. Past 25, readers start losing the thread and re-reading, and on a phone they usually just leave instead.

The quickest fix costs nothing: find every "and" joining two complete thoughts, and replace it with a full stop. Most long sentences are two short ones wearing a coat.

Reading time and why it is on the page

Average silent reading is roughly 200 to 250 words a minute. Reading aloud is much slower — around 130. If you are writing a video script or a voiceover, use the speaking time, not the reading time, or your 60-second ad will run to 90.

Common questions

How are words counted?

Anything separated by a space counts as one word, which is how word processors and editors count. A hyphenated word like "well-known" counts as one.

Does it count as I type?

Yes, instantly. There is no button to press and nothing is sent anywhere — the counting runs in your browser.

Why does my character count differ from Twitter or LinkedIn?

Those platforms count links as a fixed length regardless of the real URL, and count emoji as two characters. For plain text the counts match.

Is my text stored?

No. Nothing is uploaded, saved or logged. Close the tab and it is gone.

Want this checked on your real account?

A tool can only work with the numbers you give it. If you want someone to look at what is actually happening in your ad account, the first conversation is free.

Book a free consultation

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