Count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs as you type, with estimated reading and speaking time. Your text stays in your browser: nothing is uploaded or stored.

How to use the word counter

Type or paste your text into the box.
The counts update as you type. Your text is counted in your browser and is never sent to a server.
Use Copy result to take the counts with you.

What the counter measures

Words: runs of letters or numbers. Apostrophes and hyphens inside a word keep it whole, so “don’t” and “well-known” count once, and numbers such as 2.5 or 1,250 count as one word.
Characters: everything you typed, including spaces and line breaks. An emoji counts as one character.
Characters (no spaces): the same count without spaces, tabs or line breaks.
Sentences: text ending in a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis, plus a final sentence without punctuation.
Paragraphs: blocks of text separated by a blank line. A single line break stays inside the same paragraph.
Reading and speaking time: estimates based on average speeds, shown in minutes and seconds.

Formula

Reading time = words ÷ 238 words per minute
Speaking time = words ÷ 130 words per minute

238 words per minute is the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction in English. 130 words per minute is a comfortable pace for a talk or a voice-over.

Worked examples

A 1,000-word article takes about 1,000 ÷ 238 = 4.2 minutes to read, shown as 4 min 12 sec. Read aloud, it takes about 1,000 ÷ 130 = 7.7 minutes, shown as 7 min 42 sec.

This text, written as two paragraphs separated by a blank line: “Don’t panic. The well-known price rose 2.5 percent!” and “It cost 1,250 dollars”. The counter gives 12 words, 74 characters, 62 characters without spaces, 3 sentences and 2 paragraphs. “Don’t”, “well-known”, “2.5” and “1,250” each count as one word.

When an exact count matters

Essays, applications and competition entries with a word limit.
Forms, profiles and adverts with a character limit, where spaces usually count.
Scripts for videos, podcasts and speeches, where speaking time tells you how long the recording will run.
Page titles and descriptions for search results, which are cut off if they run too long.

If a limit is strict, check which rule the platform uses. Some count characters without spaces, and some count a line break as two characters.

Frequently asked questions

Is my text saved or sent anywhere?

No. Counting happens in your browser. The text is not sent to NumShelf or stored, and it is gone when you close or reload the page. Copy link shares the page, not your text.

What counts as a word?

A run of letters or numbers. Apostrophes and hyphens inside a word keep it whole, so “don’t” and “well-known” count once. Numbers such as 2.5 or 1,250 count as one word.

Why might my count differ from Microsoft Word or Google Docs?

Editors treat symbols, dashes and web addresses slightly differently. Differences are usually one or two words in a long document.

How are sentences counted?

Text ending in a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis, plus a final sentence without punctuation. Abbreviations such as “Dr.” may add an extra count.

Are line breaks counted as characters?

Yes in the Characters total. Characters (no spaces) leaves out all spaces, tabs and line breaks.

Is there a limit on how much text I can paste?

Up to 500,000 characters, which is enough for a full-length book. Longer text shows a message asking you to shorten it.

Where does 238 words per minute come from?

It is the average silent reading speed for adults reading non-fiction in English, from a 2019 review of 190 studies by Marc Brysbaert.

Word Counter