Free Online Word Counter Tool

A word counter tallies the words, characters, sentences and paragraphs in a passage of text, updating live as you type or paste.

Your data is processed entirely in your browser and never sent to any server.

Instant results 100% private No signup needed
0
Words
0
Characters
0
No spaces
0
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0 min
Reading time
Speaking time
~0 minutes at 150 wpm

How to Use This Text Tool

  1. Paste or type text into the input area at the top of the page.
  2. Watch the live word, character, sentence and paragraph counts in the stats panel.
  3. Check the estimated reading time to gauge how long a reader will spend on the passage.
  4. Click Copy to send the text back to your clipboard, or Clear to start fresh.

What Is a Word Counter?

The counter splits input on whitespace runs to count words, then walks the string to tally characters with and without spaces, sentences (terminated by .!?), and paragraphs (separated by blank lines). It also estimates reading time at 200 words per minute by default.

Writers use it to hit assignment word counts, bloggers to keep posts in the 1,500–2,500 word range that ranks well, and social-media users to fit the 280-character Twitter cap or LinkedIn's 210-character preview window. Marketers paste meta descriptions in to verify they sit below Google's 155-character truncation.

Everything runs locally, so drafts, internal copy and unfinished essays never leave your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the word counter work?
The word counter splits your text by whitespace and counts each segment as a word. It also counts characters (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs in real time as you type.
Does it count hyphenated words as one or two words?
Hyphenated words like 'self-esteem' are typically counted as a single word since they're not separated by spaces. The counter uses space-based splitting for word detection.
Can I use this for social media character limits?
Yes! The character counter shows total characters and characters without spaces, helping you stay within Twitter (280), Instagram caption, and other platform limits.

References

Published by the WeGotEveryTool team. We build and test every tool in-house and update pages when the underlying spec, formula, or recommendation changes.

Reviewed: May 2026. Disclaimer: this tool is provided as-is for general informational use. For decisions with material consequences (medical, legal, financial, security) verify results against a qualified professional source.

Related Text Tools

Character Counter

Count characters, letters, and spaces in any text. Essential for meeting character limits on Twitter, SMS, and form fields.