Word Counter
Paste or type below. Words, characters, sentences, reading time — counted instantly, in your browser.
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Keyword density
| Word | Count | Density |
|---|---|---|
| Start typing to see keyword density | ||
Highlighted words appear unusually often — consider a synonym. Rephrase with the paraphrasing tool
Recently used
Common word-count targets
Tap a row to set it as your goal
| X (Twitter) post | ≈ 55 words | 280 characters |
| Meta description | ≈ 25 words | 160 characters |
| College essay | 250–650 words | Common App limit 650 |
| Blog post | 800–1,500 words | long-form 2,000+ |
| Novel | 70,000–100,000 words | novella 20,000–50,000 |
Count examples
Counted live by the real tokenizer.
What are you here to do?
What counts as a word
A word is a run of letters or digits: hyphens and apostrophes join (well-known, don't = one word each), while spaces and em dashes separate. Decimal numbers split on the point (3.14 counts as two), and emoji count as zero — they're symbols, not words. Chinese, Japanese and Thai text is segmented without spaces using each language's own word boundaries.
The examples above are counted live by the same tokenizer that powers the counter — test any edge case by typing it. For the full rules see do hyphenated words count as one word?.
Common jobs
Checking an essay or application against a word limit: set a goal and the counter tracks it as you type. Counting a Word, ODT, RTF or text file: drop it in — it's read in your browser, never uploaded. Estimating pages or reading time: both appear in the stats as you write. Guides: words per page, essay length, counting in Word and Google Docs.
How WordCount differs
Your text is processed in your browser and never stored — no account, no ads, no upload. Counts are locale-aware in 38 languages, from Thai segmentation to Turkish letters. And the counting rules are documented and testable, so if your count must match Word or Google Docs, the edge cases are explained instead of hidden.
Guides
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Counting runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you type or paste is sent to our servers, stored, or used for anything. Close the tab and it's gone (except your local autosave, which stays on your device only).
How are words counted?
A word is any run of letters or numbers, including hyphenated and apostrophe forms (“well-known” and “don't” each count as one word). This matches how most word processors count, so the number should agree with Microsoft Word and Google Docs for normal prose.
Does it work for essays with a word limit?
Yes — the count updates as you type, so you can watch a 500- or 650-word limit in real time. Your draft autosaves to your device, so an accidental refresh won't lose it.
How many words should my essay, post or page be?
Common targets: college application essays 250–650 words; blog posts 800–1,500; meta descriptions under 160 characters (about 25 words); X posts 280 characters (about 55 words). Watch the live count against whichever limit you're writing to.
How many words is this? — the fastest way to check
Paste your text into the editor above (or drop a .docx/.txt file) and the word count appears instantly as you type — along with characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time. No button to press, no upload, no signup.
Is this a word count checker?
Yes — WordCount is a free word count checker: paste any text and it checks the word count, character count, sentences and reading time instantly. There is no upload and no signup; the check runs entirely in your browser, so it works for essays, assignments and articles with strict word limits.