Free Word Counter Online

Everything a writer needs, in one free tool

Most counters only show words. This one gives you the full picture of your text — length, readability, timing and keywords — updated on every keystroke.

Word & Character Counter

Live word count plus characters with spaces, without spaces, and letters only — exactly what essay limits, applications and social platforms ask for.

Reading & Speaking Time

Know how long your text takes to read silently (200 wpm) or present aloud (130 wpm) — perfect for speeches, scripts, videos and presentations.

Reading Level Checker

Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch–Kincaid grade level tell you if your writing is too complex — or just right — for your audience.

Keyword Density Checker

Top 1, 2 and 3-word phrases with counts and percentage density, so SEO writers can check a focus keyword without over-optimising.

Sentence & Paragraph Counter

Sentence count, paragraph count, average sentence length and longest sentence — the structure stats teachers and editors look for.

Auto-Save & Your Privacy

Your draft auto-saves in this browser on this device only, so you can leave and pick up where you stopped. Nothing is uploaded to a server — turn Auto-Save off or tap Clear and the saved draft is deleted.

Top 10 Keywords

Your ten most-used keywords, ranked in the sidebar with counts and density — the quickest way to spot repetition and check your focus keyword.

Font, Size & Dark Mode

Make the editor yours: switch between sans, serif and mono fonts, resize the text from 14px to 24px, and flip between light, dark or system theme.

How to use this word counter

Three steps, no learning curve.

1

Paste or type your text

Drop in an essay, article, resume, caption or speech. You can also tap “Try Sample” to see the tool in action first.

2

Read your live stats

Words, characters, sentences, reading time and keyword density update instantly as you edit — no button to press.

3

Fix, copy or download

Use the case converter and cleanup tools, set a word goal, then copy your text or download it as a .txt file.

Counting words, characters and sentences — what each count actually means

Word count is only part of the picture. Depending on where your text is going — an essay portal, a social post, a job application or a client article — you may be asked for characters with spaces, characters without spaces, or a sentence count instead. Here is how each one works and when to use it.

Word counter online free — why writers use one every day

If you searched for a word counter online free, you probably have a limit to hit: a 500-word essay, a 1,500-word blog post, a personal statement with a strict maximum. Pasting your draft here gives you that number instantly, without installing software or creating an account.

Because the count updates as you edit, you can trim or expand your text and watch the total move in real time. Set a target in the Writing Goal box and the progress bar shows how close you are — useful when you need to cut 200 words before a deadline, not after you have already submitted.

Character counter — for posts, forms and meta descriptions

A character counter matters wherever space is measured in characters rather than words. That includes X posts, Instagram captions, LinkedIn summaries, SMS messages, and the title tags and meta descriptions you write for search results.

This page works as a character counter at the same time as a word counter, so you do not need a separate tool. The headline figure and Detailed Stats panel update together, which makes it easy to shorten a caption or description to fit its limit without losing track of the word count.

Character counter with spaces — and without spaces

“Characters with spaces” counts every space between words as a character, while “characters without spaces” counts only letters, numbers and punctuation. The two numbers can differ by hundreds in a long document, so using the wrong one can push you over a limit.

With spaces is the count most social platforms, ad tools and SEO fields use.
Without spaces is common in translation pricing, some exam boards and certain application forms.
Letters only strips out numbers and punctuation as well — handy for specific academic or publishing requirements.

All three are shown in Detailed Stats, so whichever version a form asks for, you already have it.

Sentence counter — check the rhythm of your writing

A sentence counter tells you more than how much you have written; it tells you how your writing reads. Very long average sentences can make a paragraph feel heavy, while a mix of short and longer sentences usually keeps readers moving.

Here the sentence counter runs alongside the word and paragraph counts. Detailed Stats adds your average sentence length and longest sentence, so if one sentence is running to 60 words, you can spot it and split it before an editor or teacher does. It is also a quick way to check structure in speeches, scripts and essays, where sentence length directly affects how the text sounds aloud.

Who uses an online word counter?

The same tool serves very different jobs. Students check essay limits, bloggers keep articles long enough to cover a topic properly, freelancers bill or deliver work by the word, and speakers time a script before they present it. Social media managers use the character counter with spaces to fit captions, while translators and editors often need the count without spaces. Whatever the reason, the count should be instant and private — here your text stays in your browser, and with Auto-Save on it is kept only on this device until you clear it.

Word & character limits that matter

Quick reference for the limits people count words for most often.

Where	Limit	Notes
X (Twitter) post	280 characters	Links count as 23 characters regardless of length.
Instagram caption	2,200 characters	Only the first ~125 characters show before “more”.
Meta description (SEO)	~150–160 characters	Longer text is usually cut off in Google results.
College application essay (Common App)	650 words	Minimum 250 words; the limit is enforced in the form.
Typical blog post (SEO)	1,500–2,500 words	Long enough to cover a topic fully; quality beats length.
10-minute speech / presentation	~1,300 words	At an average speaking pace of 130 words per minute.
Novel (adult fiction)	70,000–90,000 words	Standard range publishers expect for a first novel.

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about counting words and characters.

How does the word counter count words?

Any sequence of characters separated by a space counts as one word — the same method used by Microsoft Word and Google Docs. “Hello world” is 2 words, and numbers like “2026” also count as words. Hyphenated words such as “well-written” count as one word.

What is the difference between characters with and without spaces?

“Characters” counts every letter, number, punctuation mark and space. “Characters (no spaces)” leaves spaces out. Forms and platforms differ in which one they use — this tool shows both so you are covered either way.

How is reading time calculated?

Reading time uses an average silent reading speed of 200 words per minute, and speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a comfortable presentation pace. A 1,000-word article therefore takes about 5 minutes to read and about 8 minutes to present aloud.

What is a good keyword density for SEO?

There is no perfect number, but most SEO writers keep a focus keyword around 0.5%–1.5% of total words and write naturally. Much higher can look like keyword stuffing. Use the density checker above to spot over-used phrases rather than to chase an exact percentage.

What does the reading level score mean?

Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to 100 — higher is easier. 90–100 is easy for an 11-year-old, 60–70 is plain English for most adults, and below 30 is very complex academic or legal writing. The grade level estimates the US school grade needed to understand the text.

Is my text private?

Yes. All counting happens in your own browser with JavaScript — nothing you type is sent to a server or shared. With Auto-Save on, your draft is kept only in this browser on this device so it is still here when you return; turn Auto-Save off or tap Clear and that saved draft is deleted.

How does Auto-Save work?

As you type, your text is saved in your browser's local storage on this device, and the editor footer shows when it was last saved. Reopen the page on the same device and browser and your draft is restored automatically. It is not synced between devices, and private/incognito windows may delete it when closed.

Can I change the font, text size or theme?

Yes. Use the settings bar above the editor to pick a sans, serif, mono or rounded font and to resize the text between 14px and 24px. The Theme button at the top cycles between Auto (follows your device), Light and Dark.

Is this word counter really free?

Yes — completely free with no sign-up, no word limit and no daily cap. Paste a 50-word caption or a 50,000-word draft; it counts both instantly.

Does the character counter count spaces?

Yes, it shows both totals side by side. The main Characters figure includes spaces, and Detailed Stats also shows Characters (no spaces) and Letters only, so you can use whichever count a form, exam or platform asks for.

Can I count sentences and paragraphs as well as words?

Yes. As you type, the tool counts sentences and paragraphs at the same time as words and characters, and also shows average sentence length and your longest sentence in Detailed Stats.

Keyword Density & Word Frequency

Case Converter & Text Cleanup