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Word Counter
Essays, meta descriptions, social posts and assignments all come with limits. Paste or type your text and every count updates on each keystroke — nothing is uploaded, so long drafts stay private.
How to use it
- Paste or write your text in the box.
- Read the word count in large type and the rest of the counts below it.
- Edit freely; every figure recalculates as you go.
Examples
- A meta description should sit near 155 characters — watch the character count, not the word count.
- A 500-word essay usually runs to about 3,000 characters with spaces.
- Reading time assumes roughly 220 words a minute, an average adult pace for prose.
Questions people ask
How is a word defined here?
As any run of characters with no spaces around it. Hyphenated compounds count once, and numbers and symbols standing alone count as words. That matches what most word processors report, so figures should agree with your editor.
Do character counts include spaces?
Both figures are shown. Twitter-style limits and SMS count spaces; some academic and database limits do not. Read the one that matches the rule you are working to.
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Updated: 2026-08-07