How are words counted?

A word is any run of characters separated by whitespace (spaces, tabs, or line breaks). Punctuation attached to a word, like commas or periods, does not create extra words.

What counts as a sentence?

Text is split into sentences at runs of closing punctuation: periods (.), exclamation marks (!), question marks (?), and the ellipsis character (…). Opening marks like ¿ and ¡ are not treated as sentence ends.

How are reading and speaking times calculated?

Reading time assumes an average pace of 200 words per minute; speaking time assumes 130 words per minute. Both are rounded up to whole minutes, with a minimum of one minute for any non-empty text.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. All counting happens locally in your browser with JavaScript. Your text never leaves your device.

Why does another tool show a different word count?

Word-counting conventions differ: some tools split hyphenated words, ignore numbers, or treat line breaks differently. This counter uses the simple, common rule of splitting on whitespace.

Free Word Counter

Paste your text below to get instant counts of words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs, plus estimated reading and speaking times. Everything updates live as you type.

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Use the reading and speaking time estimates to plan talks, videos, or articles.

Frequently asked questions

How are words counted?: A word is any run of characters separated by whitespace (spaces, tabs, or line breaks). Punctuation attached to a word, like commas or periods, does not create extra words.
What counts as a sentence?: Text is split into sentences at runs of closing punctuation: periods (.), exclamation marks (!), question marks (?), and the ellipsis character (…). Opening marks like ¿ and ¡ are not treated as sentence ends.
How are reading and speaking times calculated?: Reading time assumes an average pace of 200 words per minute; speaking time assumes 130 words per minute. Both are rounded up to whole minutes, with a minimum of one minute for any non-empty text.
Is my text sent to a server?: No. All counting happens locally in your browser with JavaScript. Your text never leaves your device.
Why does another tool show a different word count?: Word-counting conventions differ: some tools split hyphenated words, ignore numbers, or treat line breaks differently. This counter uses the simple, common rule of splitting on whitespace.

Free Word Counter

How it works

Paste or type your text

See live counts

Check reading time

Frequently asked questions

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