Word counter
Words, characters, reading time and the limits that matter — all updating as you type.
Your text
Type or paste. Nothing is uploaded — the counting happens on your own computer.
Counts
Against common limits
How to use this word counter
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Read the live counts for words, characters, sentences and paragraphs.
- Adjust the reading speed if you want a more accurate reading time.
Who it is for
For students, writers and marketers checking length limits for essays, articles, meta descriptions and social posts.
How long should it be?
| What you are writing | Sensible length |
|---|---|
| Page title | 50–60 characters |
| Meta description | 140–155 characters |
| Blog post that ranks | 1,200–2,000 words |
| Landing page | 500–900 words |
| Cold email | Under 125 words |
| Product description | 150–300 words |
These are starting points, not rules. A 600-word page that answers the question fully will beat a 2,000-word page padded to hit a target.
The number that actually predicts readability
Not word count — words per sentence. Somewhere around 15 to 20 is comfortable for most people. Past 25, readers start losing the thread and re-reading, and on a phone they usually just leave instead.
The quickest fix costs nothing: find every "and" joining two complete thoughts, and replace it with a full stop. Most long sentences are two short ones wearing a coat.
Reading time and why it is on the page
Average silent reading is roughly 200 to 250 words a minute. Reading aloud is much slower — around 130. If you are writing a video script or a voiceover, use the speaking time, not the reading time, or your 60-second ad will run to 90.
Common questions
How many words is a five-minute read?
At a typical silent reading speed of around 220 words a minute, five minutes is about 1,100 words. Speaking is slower, usually around 130 to 150 words a minute.
How are words counted?
Anything separated by a space counts as one word, which is how word processors and editors count. A hyphenated word like "well-known" counts as one.
Does it count as I type?
Yes, instantly. There is no button to press and nothing is sent anywhere — the counting runs in your browser.
Why does my character count differ from Twitter or LinkedIn?
Those platforms count links as a fixed length regardless of the real URL, and count emoji as two characters. For plain text the counts match.
Is my text stored?
No. Nothing is uploaded, saved or logged. Close the tab and it is gone.
Need more customers as well?
This tool is free and always will be. If you also want ads, search and follow-up that bring in customers, I offer a free 45-minute consultation for businesses in the USA, UK, UAE, Australia and India.
Book a free consultationBuilt and maintained by Premkumar Ragav, an independent performance marketing specialist. Updated November 2026.