Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimate reading time. Free online tool for writers and students.
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Frequently asked questions
- How is reading time calculated?
- Based on an average of 250 words per minute for reading and 130 words per minute for speaking (both English standards).
- Does it count words in Chinese or Japanese?
- Not usefully. Words are counted as runs between spaces, so a sentence of Chinese or Japanese with no spaces counts as one word. Read the Characters figure instead; sentence counting does recognise the CJK full stop, question mark, and exclamation mark.
- Are paragraphs counted by blank lines?
- Yes. Two consecutive newlines define a paragraph break, matching Markdown convention.
- Does it count punctuation as characters?
- Yes. "Characters" includes all visible characters plus spaces. "Characters (no spaces)" excludes only whitespace.
- Why does my count differ from a word processor?
- Words here are runs of non-whitespace, so hyphenated terms like state-of-the-art count as one word and a dash with no spaces around it joins the words it sits between. Word processors apply extra splitting rules.
- Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
- No. Counting runs in the page as you type and nothing is uploaded, so drafts and confidential documents are safe to paste.