Word & Character Counter - Live, Local
Paste or type text to see live word, character, sentence, and paragraph counts, plus an estimated reading time. Everything updates as you type and nothing is sent anywhere.
Maintained by Hirantha Sandaruwan Lakshan. Updated 31 July 2026.
How it works
Word count splits on whitespace, so it counts what most word processors would count, rather than a naive space-only split that miscounts text with multiple spaces or line breaks.
Character count is shown both with and without spaces, since form field limits and style guides sometimes specify one or the other.
Reading time is estimated from word count at a standard adult silent-reading speed - a rough guide, not an exact measurement, since actual reading speed varies by text and reader.
Worked examples
Checking a tweet or post against a character limit
Paste the draft text and watch the character count update live as you edit toward the limit.
Estimating how long a script will take to read aloud
The reading time estimate gives a rough sense of spoken length for a script, speech, or voiceover draft.
Meeting a word count requirement for an assignment
Paste a draft to check it against a minimum or maximum word count before submitting.
Frequently asked questions
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No, the counts are calculated entirely in your browser as you type, and nothing is sent to a server.
Does it count numbers and punctuation as words?
A standalone number or a hyphenated term counts as one word, matching how most word processors count them.
How accurate is the reading time estimate?
It's a rough estimate based on an average silent-reading speed - actual reading time varies by text difficulty and the individual reader.
Does it save what I type?
No, nothing is stored - refreshing the page clears the text.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes, both are shown, which is what most assignment and form limits actually specify.
How many words is a typical page?
Roughly 250-300 words for double-spaced 12pt, or about 500 single-spaced. Fonts, margins, and spacing all shift it, so treat any page count as an estimate.
Does it work for languages without spaces, like Chinese?
Word counting relies on spaces, so languages that don't use them will give a misleading word count. The character count remains accurate and is the more meaningful number there.
Does pasting from Word bring formatting with it?
Only the plain text is used, so bold, headings, and styles are ignored. The count reflects the words, not the markup.
Sources & references
Updated Jul 31, 2026