Word & Character Counter
A Word Counter analyses any block of text and instantly reports the word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentence count, paragraph count, and estimated reading and speaking times — all calculated in your browser as you type.
About Word & Character Counter
Paste an article, essay, social post, or any text and watch the metrics update on every keystroke. Reading time is estimated at 238 words per minute (the average adult reading rate in 2026 research). Speaking time is estimated at 150 words per minute. Includes per-platform character-limit indicators for X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and SMS so you know where your content stands.
What Word & Character Counter does
- Live counts for words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs
- Reading time estimate at 238 wpm (peer-reviewed adult silent reading rate)
- Speaking time estimate at 150 wpm
- Per-platform character-limit indicators for X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and SMS
- Grapheme-cluster-aware counting so emoji and CJK do not double-count
When to reach for Word & Character Counter
- Hitting a word count target for an essay or article
- Checking whether a tweet, LinkedIn post, or SMS fits the platform limit
- Estimating how long a presentation script will take to read aloud
- Spotting empty paragraphs and runaway sentences in a draft
How to use Word & Character Counter
- 01
Paste your text
Paste anything — an essay, social post, transcript — into the editor.
- 02
Read the metrics
Counts and reading-time estimates update on every keystroke.
- 03
Pick a platform
Toggle the X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, or SMS indicator to see if you are inside the character limit.
When to use Word & Character Counter vs alternatives
| Alternative | Use Word & Character Counter when… | Use the alternative when… |
|---|---|---|
| Word's built-in word count | the text is in a browser tab, email, or chat instead of an open document. | you are already in Word and want it built into the document. |
| `wc -w` in the terminal | you also want platform character limits, reading time, and sentence/paragraph counts. | you are scripting and want a single integer. |