Whether you’re writing a blog post, a college essay, a social media caption, or an article for a client, knowing your exact word count and character count matters. Our free online word counter tool gives you real-time statistics the moment you type or paste your content — no button to click. It tracks words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraph count, and estimated reading time based on an average reading speed of 200 words per minute. Writers, students, SEO professionals, and social media managers use word counters daily to hit content targets, respect character limits on platforms like Twitter/X and LinkedIn, and maintain consistent, well-structured content.
How to Use the Word Counter
- Click inside the text area above.
- Type or paste your content — statistics update in real time as you type.
- Read your stats from the six metric tiles: Words, Characters, Chars (no spaces), Sentences, Paragraphs, and Read Time.
- Click Clear to reset and start over.
Platform Word & Character Limits — Quick Reference
- Twitter / X: 280 characters per tweet
- LinkedIn post: 3,000 characters (first 210 visible without “see more”)
- Meta (Facebook) post: 63,206 characters
- Instagram caption: 2,200 characters (first 125 visible)
- Google meta description: ~155–160 characters recommended
- Google title tag: ~55–60 characters
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this count words the same way Microsoft Word does?
Very similarly. Both count sequences of non-space characters separated by whitespace. Minor differences exist in how hyphenated words and contractions are counted, but the result is within 1% of Word for typical prose.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute — a commonly cited average for adult readers of English. Academic or technical text may take longer; simple content may be faster.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Your text never leaves your device.