Word counter
Paste your text and the numbers update as you type. Or enter a URL and we pull the main text from the page for you.
Free · No sign-up
How it works
Words are runs of letters and numbers; words joined by a hyphen or an apostrophe, such as "e-mail" or "don't", count as one. Sentences end with a full stop, exclamation mark, question mark or ellipsis, and every line with text counts as a paragraph.
When you enter a URL, we open the page, strip menus, footers, scripts and styles, and put the main text in the box. Reading time assumes 200 words per minute and speaking time 130.
Why it matters
Word count is not a ranking factor on its own, but it is a good sign of how fully a page covers its topic. A 200-word page rarely competes with guides that explain the same subject in 1,500 words.
Character counts help wherever space is limited: meta descriptions, social posts and form fields. And showing the reading time at the top of an article tells visitors how much time to set aside.