Word Counter -- Count Words & Characters
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading time instantly. Free online word counter for writers, students, and SEO professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the word counter work?
This tool splits your text by whitespace to count words, measures string length for characters, counts periods/exclamation/question marks for sentences, and counts double line breaks for paragraphs. Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute.
Is the reading time estimate accurate?
The estimate uses 200 words per minute, which is the average adult reading speed. Technical content may take longer (150 wpm), while familiar topics may be faster (250 wpm). The estimate gives a useful ballpark for content planning.
Does it count spaces and punctuation?
The tool shows both 'characters' (including spaces) and 'characters without spaces' counts. Punctuation marks are included in character counts. The word count excludes empty whitespace tokens.
Can I use this for SEO meta descriptions?
Yes. SEO meta descriptions should be 150-160 characters. The character counter helps you stay within this limit. Title tags should be under 60 characters. Use the character count to optimize your content for search engines.