Word & Character Counter
Type or paste text to count words, characters, sentences and reading time. Nothing is uploaded.
Frequent words
How to use the Word Counter
- Type or paste into the box. There is no submit button, the figures will update as you type.
- Use Paste, Copy text or Clear if you do not want to use the keyboard.
- Read the totals: words, characters, characters without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, lines, unique words, minutes to read and minutes to speak.
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What it is for
Word limits show up on essays, job applications, bios, adverts and CMS fields. Character limits show up on titles, tweets and form boxes that silently truncate. Counting by hand is slow and usually wrong. This page keeps a running tally so you can see, while you edit, whether you are still inside the cap.
Words splits on whitespace. Characters is the raw length of the box, spaces included. Characters (no spaces) strips those spaces, which is the figure some forms mean when they say “characters”. Sentences splits on full stops, question marks and exclamation marks. Minutes is a rough reading time at about 200 words per minute, rounded up once there is any text.
Paste a finished draft to check it, or write in the box if you like working against a live count. For capitalisation after you hit the limit, use the Case Converter.
Why it runs in your browser
The count is done in the tab from the text you typed. Nothing is sent to Catpool to be stored. That matters for an unpublished essay, a job statement or a draft you do not want sitting on someone else’s server. Close the tab and the box is empty.
Common questions
Does a hyphenated word count as one word or two?
One. The split is on spaces and line breaks, not on hyphens or apostrophes.
Why do “characters” and “no spaces” disagree?
Spaces, tabs and line breaks are characters. Many platforms count them; some say they do not. Use Characters when the field is a hard length cap. Use No spaces when the brief said “characters excluding spaces”.
Is the reading time accurate?
It is a rule of thumb at 200 words per minute, not a lab measurement. Dense technical prose reads slower; light copy reads faster. Treat the minute figure as a planning aid.
Is my text saved?
No. Refresh or close the tab and it is gone. Copy the draft out if you still need it.
What is the word goal for?
A target you set yourself: 500 for a short post, 2,000 for an essay. Set it to 0 and the bar hides.
Related: Create and Case Converter.
