Paste any text to count its words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences and estimated reading time — live, in your browser.
What this counter does
Paste or type into the box and every count updates as you write: words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, and an estimated reading time at a typical 200 words per minute. Nothing you paste is transmitted anywhere — the counting is plain JavaScript in your own browser tab, which matters when the text is a cover letter or something unpublished.
How to use it
- Paste or type your text.
- Read the word count at the top.
- Check characters, sentences and reading time underneath.
How it counts
words = runs of letters and digits (hyphens and apostrophes stay inside a word)
reading time = words ÷ 200 per minute
A worked example
The box opens with a 13-word sentence: 66 characters with spaces, 54 without, and about a 4-second read. Paste a 1,000-word essay and the reading time shows 5 minutes — the number editors and speakers actually plan around. Everything updates as you type.
Common questions
Why does this count differ from my word processor?
Counters disagree on edge cases — hyphenated words, numbers, stray punctuation. The differences are tiny; for limits that matter, the counter of the place you’re submitting to is the referee.
Do character limits count spaces?
Usually yes — most platform limits mean characters including spaces, which is why both numbers are shown.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser; the text never leaves your device.