Free Word and Character Counter
Counts update live as you type or paste. Includes reading time at an average 225 words per minute.
Character limits worth knowing when writing for the web
Word and character counts matter most when your writing has to fit a hard limit set by someone else's platform. A handful of the most common ones: a post on X (formerly Twitter) is capped at 280 characters; a search engine meta description is effectively truncated around 155–160 characters before it gets cut off with an ellipsis in results; a single SMS segment is 160 characters (longer texts get split into multiple segments, sometimes at extra cost). Watching the live character count while drafting for any of these is far faster than pasting into the target platform repeatedly to check.
A note on the reading-time estimate
The reading time shown here uses 225 words per minute, a commonly cited average for adult silent reading — but real reading speed varies widely by person and by how dense the material is (a technical document reads slower than a casual blog post). Treat the number as a ballpark for pacing a talk or estimating how long an article will take, not a precise guarantee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are words counted?
Any run of characters separated by whitespace counts as one word — the same approach word processors use. Hyphenated terms like "state-of-the-art" count as a single word.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time uses an average adult silent-reading speed of 225 words per minute. Actual speed varies by reader and content difficulty, so treat it as an estimate.
What counts as a sentence?
Text ending in a period, question mark, or exclamation point (or a run of them, like "?!") counts as one sentence. Abbreviations such as "e.g." can slightly inflate the count.
What character limits should I watch for when writing online?
Common ones include 280 characters for a post on X, roughly 155–160 characters before a search engine truncates a meta description, and 160 characters per SMS segment. Watching the live count here is quicker than pasting into each platform to check.
Does pasting formatted text from Word or Google Docs affect the count?
No — the counter reads plain text from the input box, so bold, italics, and other formatting from a pasted document don't add to or change the character count. Only the visible characters themselves are counted.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens live in your browser and the text is never transmitted, stored, or logged. It is safe to paste confidential drafts.