Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and reading time
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimate reading and speaking time instantly. Paste or type your text to get detailed stats with common platform character limit comparisons.
Paste your text and get instant counts: words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, plus estimated reading time (238 words/min) and speaking time (150 words/min).
Free Word & Character Counter Tool
How to Use This Word Counter
- Type or paste your text — The counter updates in real time as you type.
- View your stats — Word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs.
- Check reading/speaking time — Based on average adult reading speed (238 wpm) and speaking pace (150 wpm).
- Compare to platform limits — See how your text fits within Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and SEO limits.
What Is a Word?
A "word" is defined as a sequence of characters separated by whitespace. This matches the definition used by Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and most text editors. Hyphenated words like "well-known" count as one word.
Average Reading and Speaking Speeds
| Activity | Speed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average adult reading | 238 words/min | Journal of Memory and Language (Brysbaert, 2019) |
| Average speaking pace | 150 words/min | National Center for Voice and Speech |
| Audiobook narration | 150-160 words/min | ACX/Audible guidelines |
| Presentation speaking | 120-150 words/min | Toastmasters International |
Common Content Length Guidelines (2026)
| Platform/Content | Character Limit | Word Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post | 280 characters | ~40-50 words |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters | ~300-400 words |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters | ~400-500 words |
| Meta title (SEO) | 60 characters | ~8-10 words |
| Meta description (SEO) | 155 characters | ~20-25 words |
| SMS text message | 160 characters | ~25-30 words |
| Blog post (ideal SEO) | n/a | 1,500-2,500 words |
| College essay | n/a | 250-650 words (Common App) |
Word Count by Document Type
| Document | Typical Word Count | Pages (12pt, double-spaced) |
|---|---|---|
| 50-200 words | Less than 1 | |
| Blog post | 1,000-2,500 words | 4-10 |
| Academic paper | 3,000-8,000 words | 12-32 |
| Thesis | 20,000-80,000 words | 80-320 |
| Novel | 70,000-100,000 words | 280-400 |
Sources
- Brysbaert, M. (2019). "How many words do we read per minute?" Journal of Memory and Language — 238 wpm average
- National Center for Voice and Speech — 150 wpm average speaking rate
- Platform character limits verified as of March 2026
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الأسئلة الشائعة
This tool counts words by splitting text on whitespace (spaces, tabs, line breaks). A "word" is any sequence of characters separated by whitespace, matching the standard used by Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Hyphenated words like "well-known" count as one word. Numbers and abbreviations each count as one word.
We use 238 words per minute, based on a comprehensive 2019 meta-analysis by Marc Brysbaert published in the Journal of Memory and Language. This is the average silent reading speed for English-speaking adults reading non-fiction. Actual speed varies — skilled readers may reach 300+ wpm, while complex material slows everyone down.
Speaking time uses 150 words per minute, which is the average conversational speaking pace according to the National Center for Voice and Speech. Professional presentations typically range from 120-150 wpm. Audiobook narrators average 150-160 wpm. Auctioneers and fast speakers can reach 200+ wpm.
We show both counts: "Characters" includes all characters including spaces, and "Characters (no spaces)" excludes whitespace. Platform limits like Twitter (280 characters) count spaces, so use the total character count for social media limits. Some academic requirements specify "characters without spaces."
For SEO performance in 2026, aim for 1,500-2,500 words for standard blog posts. Comprehensive guides perform best at 3,000-5,000 words. Short-form content like social posts works at 100-300 words. Academic papers typically require 3,000-8,000 words. A standard double-spaced page contains approximately 250 words.
X (formerly Twitter) has a 280-character limit for standard posts (doubled from the original 140 in 2017). X Premium subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters. The character count includes spaces, punctuation, and emojis. URLs are shortened to 23 characters regardless of actual length.
A standard double-spaced page with 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins contains approximately 250 words. Single-spaced is about 500 words per page. A 5-page essay is roughly 1,250 words (double-spaced). A 100-page novel is approximately 25,000 words.
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