Whether you are polishing an essay, drafting a tweet, or writing a meta description, length limits matter. Universities cap admission essays at strict word counts, Twitter/X stops you at 280 characters, and Google truncates meta descriptions around 155–160 characters. This word counter gives you a live count of words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs as you type or paste, so you never have to guess whether your text fits.
Everything is calculated instantly in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, stored, or sent to any server — which makes this tool safe for confidential documents, unpublished manuscripts, and client work.
How to Use This Tool
- Paste or type your text into the input box.
- The counters update instantly — no button to press.
- Check words for essays and articles, characters for social media and SEO fields.
- Edit your text directly in the box and watch the numbers adjust in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are words counted exactly?
A word is any sequence of characters separated by spaces or line breaks. Hyphenated words like 'well-known' count as one word, which matches how most word processors and university submission systems count.
Do spaces count as characters?
Both numbers are shown. 'Characters' includes spaces and punctuation, while 'characters without spaces' excludes them. Twitter, SMS, and most form limits count spaces, so use the first number for those.
Is my text saved anywhere?
No. The counting happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is transmitted over the network, and closing the tab erases everything.