WebTools

Count words and characters

A live count, reading time and the limits each platform imposes.

Counts characters, words, lines, paragraphs and sentences as you type, and tells you how long it takes to read and how long to say out loud.

Below are the limits people actually fight with: the title and meta description for search, and what fits in a post. The bar turns red when you go over.

How to use it

  1. Paste or type the text.
  2. Watch the count, which updates itself.
  3. Keep an eye on the limit bars if you are writing for a specific place.

Frequently asked questions

How does it count words?
As runs of letters and digits, so a web address counts as several. It is the same rule most counters use.
Where does the reading time come from?
220 words per minute for silent reading and 130 for reading aloud, which are the usual averages for an adult with ordinary prose.
Why 158 characters for the meta description?
Because that is roughly where Google starts truncating it in results. It is not a written rule: it depends on the device and the query.

Related tools