Free Word Counter

Paste or type your text to count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, with an estimated reading time. Everything runs in your browser, so your text never leaves your device.

Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded

Your text

Counts update as you type. Nothing leaves your browser.

Words

Characters

No spaces

Sentences

Paragraphs

—

Reading time

at 200 wpm

How to use this tool

Paste or type your text into the box.
The counts update as you type — there is no button to press.
Use the reading-time figure to sanity-check article length against your audience.

What is Word Counter?

A word count is the simplest measure of content length, and length is one signal among many that a page covers its topic properly. It is not a ranking factor on its own: a 500-word page that answers the question fully will beat a 2,000-word page that pads around it.

What a count is genuinely useful for is consistency. If the pages ranking for your target query all run 1,200 to 1,800 words, a 300-word page is probably missing sections your readers expect.

Best practices

Write to cover the topic, then check the count — not the other way round.
Compare against the pages currently ranking for your query rather than a universal target.
Watch paragraph count too: long unbroken blocks hurt readability on mobile.
Reading time is an estimate at 200 words per minute; technical content reads slower.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an ideal word count for SEO?

No. Google has said repeatedly that word count is not a ranking factor. Useful length is whatever it takes to answer the query completely — which varies enormously by topic.

Does this tool send my text anywhere?

No. All counting happens in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is uploaded, stored or logged.

How is reading time calculated?

Words divided by 200, which is a common average for adult silent reading. Adjust your expectations for dense or technical writing, which reads more slowly.