Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs. See reading time and keyword density.
About this tool
A free, instant word counter for writers, students, content creators, and anyone working to a length target. Paste your text and see live counts for words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, and syllables — plus reading time, speaking time, and the most-frequent keywords in your writing.
The Word Counter pairs naturally with the rest of Text Toolkit. Once your text is pasted, you can switch tabs to the Case Converter, Readability Checker, or Markdown Previewer without losing your work — the shared text buffer keeps everything in sync across tools.
Built for speed: stats update in real time as you type, with no servers involved. Your text never leaves your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 750 words at the average speaking pace of 150 words per minute. Conversational pacing runs slightly slower (130–140 wpm); formal presentations average closer to 150–170. The toolkit shows speaking time directly so you can match a target length.What is the average word count for a blog post?
1,500–2,500 words is typical for SEO-focused blog posts; long-form ranking content often runs 2,000–3,000+. News articles average 800–1,200. Aim for the length your topic genuinely requires — search engines reward depth, not padding.How do you count words in an essay?
Most word counters split on whitespace, so contractions ("don't"), hyphenated terms ("well-known"), and URLs each count as one word. Numbers count as words. Multiple spaces are collapsed. Style guides differ on whether to count titles and references — check your assignment requirements.Does the word counter include numbers and symbols?
Yes. Numbers like "42" or "3.14" count as one word each. Standalone symbols (—, &) are typically not counted. Emoji count as characters but not as separate words.What is reading time based on?
Reading time uses 238 words per minute — the average silent-reading speed for adult prose. Speaking time uses 150 wpm, the typical cadence for spoken delivery. Speed varies with complexity: dense academic text reads slower, conversational text reads faster.