Free Word Counter — Count Words & Characters Online
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time — paste and get stats instantly.
Statistics
Top Words
How it works
Paste your text
Type or paste any text into the input area.
Stats update live
Word count, character count, and all metrics update as you type.
Check reading time
See estimated reading and speaking times based on standard WPM rates.
Review top words
The word frequency table shows your most-used words (excluding common stop words).
Common use cases
Blog & article writing
Track word count targets while drafting blog posts, articles, and long-form content.
Academic writing
Ensure essays, reports, and theses meet minimum or maximum word count requirements.
Social media posts
Check character counts before posting to Twitter, LinkedIn, or other character-limited platforms.
SEO content planning
Verify content length targets and check keyword density using the word frequency table.
Frequently asked questions
How does the word counter count words?
Words are counted by splitting on whitespace and punctuation. Hyphenated words count as one; numbers count as words.
What reading speed is used?
Reading time uses 200 words per minute (average adult reading speed). Speaking time uses 130 words per minute.
Is this word counter free?
Yes — completely free, unlimited text, no account required.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No — all processing runs locally in your browser. Your text never leaves your device.
What are stop words?
Stop words are common words like "the", "a", "is" that are excluded from the frequency table so meaningful words show up instead.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes — the tool is fully responsive and works on iOS and Android browsers.