0
Words
0
Characters
0
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
How Each Count is Worked Out
- Words: the text is split on runs of whitespace, so anything separated by a space or line break counts as one word. A hyphenated term such as "well-known" counts as one, and punctuation attached to a word does not count separately.
- Characters: every character is counted, including spaces, punctuation and line breaks. This is the figure most platforms mean by a character limit.
- Sentences: counted by looking for groups of full stops, question marks and exclamation marks. An ellipsis counts once because the dots are treated as one group.
- Paragraphs: counted by blank lines, so a new paragraph is recognised when you leave an empty line between blocks of text.
Where the Counts Are Approximate
Sentence detection is based on punctuation, not on grammar. Abbreviations such as "Dr." or "e.g." contain full stops and will be treated as sentence endings, which inflates the count. Decimal numbers can do the same.
Paragraph detection relies on blank lines. If your text uses single line breaks between paragraphs, as some editors do, the whole block may be counted as one paragraph. The word and character counts are exact; treat the other two as close estimates.
Common Use Cases
- Meeting a word limit on an essay, assignment or application.
- Checking a character limit for a meta description, tweet or bio field.
- Keeping an article within a commissioned length.
- Checking how long a piece of copy is before submitting it.
Useful Length References
- A page title for search results is usually kept to around 60 characters.
- A meta description is generally around 150 to 160 characters.
- A double-spaced page of prose is roughly 250 to 300 words.
- Reading aloud at a normal pace covers roughly 130 to 150 words a minute.
Privacy and Processing
Counting happens entirely in your browser as you type. Nothing you write is sent to a server, stored or logged, so it is safe for drafts and confidential text.
Word Counter FAQ
How is a word counted?
The text is split on runs of whitespace, so anything separated by a space or line break counts as one word. A hyphenated term such as well-known counts as one word, and attached punctuation is not counted separately.
Does the character count include spaces?
Yes. Every character is counted, including spaces, punctuation and line breaks. This is the figure most platforms mean when they state a character limit.
Why is the sentence count sometimes wrong?
Sentences are detected from punctuation rather than grammar, so abbreviations such as Dr. or e.g. and decimal numbers are treated as sentence endings. The word and character counts are exact; treat sentences and paragraphs as close estimates.
How are paragraphs counted?
By blank lines. If your text separates paragraphs with a single line break rather than an empty line, the whole block may be counted as one paragraph.
Is there a maximum length?
No. There is no imposed limit, though extremely long text depends on your browser and device.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser as you type. Nothing is sent to a server, stored or logged, so it is safe for confidential drafts.
Related Developer Tools
Keep moving through common developer workflows with Case Converter, Text Compare, Text Similarity Checker. You can also browse the full Developer Tools collection or return to the all tools hub.