Word Counter — Words, Characters & Reading Time

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Live counts as you type — words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading and speaking time.

Your text

How to use this tool

1. Paste or type your text — every number updates live.
2. Check the numbers that matter for your task: word limits, character limits, or reading time.
3. Clear empties the box (nothing was saved anyway).

Example

A 500-word essay: ≈ 3,000 characters, about 25 sentences, a 2–3 minute read — the classic blog-post length. A resume should land near 400–600 words; a LinkedIn post under 1,300 characters.

The formula

reading time = words ÷ 200 per minute (average adult); speaking = words ÷ 130

What the result means

Word count is the honest size of a document — editors think in words, platforms in characters, audiences in minutes. The two minutes differ because silent reading (about 200 wpm) is faster than speaking pace (about 130 wpm); use speaking time for scripts and presentations.

Frequently asked questions

How are words counted?

Any run of non-space characters counts as one word — 'state-of-the-art' is one word, so is '…'. This matches Word and Google Docs.

What reading speed do you assume?

200 words per minute — the widely used average for adult silent reading of general text. Technical material reads slower; skimming faster.

Do hyphenated words or numbers count?

Yes — both are words by the standard method. Numbers like 2,026 count as one word.

Is my text stored anywhere?

No — counting happens in your browser as you type; refresh and it's gone.

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Explore the island world

• Paper Port — the island where this tool lives.
• The Main Island — drive the boat, explore the whole world.
• The 90s Kids Island — where most of us started.

Privacy & data: this tool runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded, saved or sent anywhere. · Disclaimer: text is processed locally and never uploaded; always keep your own backup of important documents. · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer