About the Word & Character Counter
Word and character limits show up constantly in writing — social media posts, essay requirements, SEO meta descriptions, and text message limits all impose specific constraints that are hard to track by eye alone.
This tool updates all counts live as you type or paste text, including a reading time estimate based on an average adult reading speed of roughly 200 words per minute, commonly used by publishers and content platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is estimated by dividing total word count by 200 (a commonly cited average adult silent reading speed), rounded up to the nearest minute.
Does character count include spaces?
This tool shows both figures separately — total characters (including spaces) and characters excluding spaces — since different platforms and forms specify limits differently.
Is my text sent anywhere when I use this tool?
No — all counting happens directly in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you type is transmitted to a server or stored.