To count the words in a document, paste the text into a word counter: it reports the number of words, characters, sentences and paragraphs at once, so you don't have to count by hand. Our free word and character counter updates as you type and handles accented letters and non-Latin scripts.
Counts matter because so much writing has a limit. Essays have word limits, search results cut off long titles, and social platforms reject posts over their character cap. This guide explains how counters decide what a word is, lists common limits, and shows how to trim text to fit.
How a word counter counts words
A word counter splits text into words, then adds them up. Tools agree on most text but differ at the edges, so it helps to know the rules ours uses:
- Words are groups of characters between spaces or line breaks that contain at least one letter or digit. Contractions such as don't, hyphenated words such as well-known, prices such as 4.99 and email addresses count as one word each. A lone dash or ampersand is not a word. Text is counted as typed, so pasted HTML tags count too.
- Characters are every character in the box, including spaces, punctuation and line breaks.
- Sentences end at a period, question mark or exclamation mark followed by a space, a line break or the end of the text, so the dot in a price such as 4.99 doesn't end one. Abbreviations such as "e.g." still add extra sentences, so treat this figure as an estimate.
- Paragraphs are blocks of text separated by at least one blank line. A block with no words in it, such as a line of dashes, doesn't count.
Worked example
Paste this short text into the counter:
Write short sentences. Cut filler words.
Then read it aloud. Does it flow?| Statistic | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Words | 13 | Each group of characters between spaces counts once |
| Characters | 75 | Letters, spaces, punctuation and the two line breaks |
| Sentences | 4 | Three periods and one question mark |
| Paragraphs | 2 | Separated by one blank line |
Why counts differ between tools
Word processors, websites and counters each define a word slightly differently. Ours splits only at spaces and line breaks, so an email address or a price such as 4.99 counts as one word, where some tools count two or three. For languages written without spaces, such as Chinese, Japanese and Thai, a whole phrase can count as one word, so use the character count instead. When a limit really matters, check it with the tool the publisher uses.
Common word and character limits
These limits are approximate and platforms change them, so check the current rules before you publish.
| Where | Typical limit |
|---|---|
| Page title in Google results | About 50 to 60 characters before it is cut off |
| Meta description in Google results | About 150 to 160 characters before it is cut off |
| Post on X (Twitter) | 280 characters for standard accounts |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| YouTube video title | 100 characters |
| SMS text message | 160 characters per message, or 70 if it contains emoji or other special characters |
| Common App personal essay | 650 words |
Google shortens titles and descriptions by pixel width, not by an exact character count, so wide letters like "W" use up the space faster than narrow ones like "i". Put the most important words first. For the URL that sits under the title, see our guide to writing SEO-friendly URL slugs.
How long does it take to read?
Most adults read nonfiction silently at roughly 200 to 250 words per minute, and speakers usually talk at about 130 to 150 words per minute. So a 1,000-word article takes about four to five minutes to read and about seven minutes to deliver as a speech. Divide your word count by these rates to plan talks and estimate reading times.
How to use the Word & Character Counter
- Open the Word & Character Counter.
- Type or paste your text into the Text box. It holds up to 100,000 characters; anything longer is trimmed, and a notice tells you so.
- Read the Statistics panel: Words, Characters, Sentences and Paragraphs. They update a moment after you stop typing.
- Edit the text in the box until it fits your limit. The counts follow every change.
- Click Clear to empty the box and start on the next piece.
Tips for hitting a word or character limit
- Cut filler words first. "Very", "really", "just", "actually" and "in order to" can usually go without changing the meaning.
- Prefer active voice. "The team approved the plan" is shorter and clearer than "The plan was approved by the team".
- Front-load key information. Titles and descriptions get cut off at the end, so lead with what matters most.
- Budget by section. For long pieces, paste each section on its own to check it against its share of the total.
- Watch special characters in text messages. One emoji or accented letter can switch an SMS to the 70-character limit.
- Mind Markdown symbols. If you write in Markdown, symbols such as
#and*count as characters but aren't words. Preview the formatted result in the Markdown previewer. - Fix formatting separately. Text typed with caps lock on is quick to repair with the case converter, and the duplicate line remover cleans repeated lines out of lists.
If you are designing a layout before the final words exist, our guide to using lorem ipsum placeholder text shows how to match placeholder length to the real copy.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is one page?
About 500 words single-spaced or 250 words double-spaced, using a 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Font, spacing and headings change the figure, so treat it as a rough guide.
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes, in our counter and on most platforms that set character limits, including social networks and SMS. Our Characters figure includes spaces, punctuation and line breaks.
Does a hyphenated word count as one word?
In our counter, yes: "well-known" counts as one word, and so do contractions like "don't". Other tools may count hyphenated words as two, so small differences between tools are normal.
How many characters should a meta description be?
Aim for roughly 150 to 160 characters. Google cuts descriptions by pixel width and sometimes writes its own, so put the most important words at the start.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About four to five minutes at a typical silent reading speed of 200 to 250 words per minute. Reading the same text aloud takes about seven minutes.
Does the word counter work in other languages?
Yes. It counts words in accented Latin scripts, Cyrillic, Greek and other scripts that separate words with spaces. For Chinese, Japanese and Thai, which don't use spaces between words, rely on the character count.