Simple Sentence
Hello world!
Words: 2
The exclamation mark does not create another word.
Word Counter
Count words instantly as you type or paste text. See word count, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time, and more, or set a custom word limit to see how many words you have remaining.
Words
0
Characters
0
Set Word Limit
(Optional)
Remaining Words
—
Characters
0
Unique Words
0
Average Word Length
0
Words Per Sentence
0
Words Per Paragraph
0
Reading Time
0m 0s
Estimated Pages
0
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0
Speaking Time
0m 0s
Need more detailed character statistics?
Use our
Character Counter
to see additional character-related metrics or set a custom character limit to track how many characters you have remaining.
Word Counter Guide
How to Use the Word Counter
Type or paste text into the box above. The word count updates automatically as you type. The tool also shows unique words, average word length, words per sentence, words per paragraph, reading time, estimated pages, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and speaking time.
Use the Copy button to copy your text or the Clear button to empty the text box and start again.
Set a Custom Word Limit
Enter a number in the optional Set Word Limit box if your writing has a maximum word count. The Remaining Words result shows how many words you have left.
If your text exceeds the limit, the counter shows how many words you are over. For example, if the limit is 500 words and your text contains 525 words, you are 25 words over the limit.
What Counts as a Word?
This counter identifies words from sequences of letters and numbers. Apostrophes, hyphens, and periods can stay inside a word when they occur between letters or numbers.
For example, contractions such as don't and hyphenated terms such as state-of-the-art can be counted as one word. Standalone punctuation marks and emojis are not counted as words.
Why Can Word Counts Differ Between Tools?
Different word counters can use different rules for identifying words. Small differences are most likely with hyphenated terms, numbers, abbreviations, URLs, punctuation, and other unusual text.
If you are submitting text to a school, publisher, application system, contest, or another platform with a strict word limit, the platform's submitted count should be treated as the final authority.
Word Count vs. Character Count
A word count measures the number of words in a piece of text. A character count measures individual characters, which can include letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation, and symbols.
For more detailed character statistics, use our Character Counter.
Word Statistics
Along with the total number of words, this tool provides several measurements that can help you understand your word usage and the overall length and structure of your writing.
- Unique words
- Average word length
- Words per sentence
- Words per paragraph
- Reading time
- Estimated pages
- Characters
- Sentences
- Paragraphs
- Speaking time
Word Counter Examples
Here are a few examples of how the Word Counter handles common types of text.
Contraction
Don't stop.
Words: 2
The apostrophe keeps don't together as one word.
Hyphenated Word
state-of-the-art writing
Words: 2
A hyphenated term can be counted as one word.
Emoji
Hi 🙂
Words: 1
The emoji is not counted as a word.
Word Counter Features
| Feature | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Words | The total number of words detected in your text. |
| Set Word Limit | Enter an optional word limit for an essay, assignment, article, application, or other piece of writing. |
| Remaining Words | Shows how many words remain before the custom word limit, or how many words the text is over the limit. |
| Unique Words | The number of different words used in the text, ignoring capitalization. |
| Average Word Length | The average number of letters and numbers in each detected word. |
| Words Per Sentence | The average number of words in each detected sentence. |
| Words Per Paragraph | The average number of words in each detected paragraph. |
| Reading Time | An estimated amount of time needed to read the text. |
| Estimated Pages | A quick page estimate based on approximately 250 words per page. |
| Characters | The total number of characters in your text. |
| Sentences | The estimated number of sentences in your text. |
| Paragraphs | The number of detected paragraphs. |
| Speaking Time | An estimated amount of time needed to speak the text aloud. |
Word Counter FAQ
What is a word counter?
A word counter is a tool that automatically counts the number of words in a piece of text. Type or paste text into the box above and the total updates instantly.
How do I check my word count?
Type or paste your text into the Word Counter. The total number of detected words appears in the Words result above the text box.
Can I set a custom word limit?
Yes. Enter a number in the optional Set Word Limit box. The Remaining Words result shows how many words you have left or how many words you are over the limit.
Do hyphenated words count as one word?
This counter can treat a hyphenated term such as state-of-the-art as one word when the hyphens occur inside the word.
Do contractions count as one word?
Yes. Contractions such as don't, can't, and it's are counted as one word.
Do numbers count as words?
Number sequences can be counted as words by this counter.
Do punctuation marks count as words?
No. Punctuation by itself does not count as a word.
Do emojis count as words?
No. An emoji by itself is not counted as a word.
Why is my word count different from another tool?
Different word counters can use different rules for hyphenated terms, numbers, abbreviations, URLs, and punctuation, so small differences between tools are possible.
Is this Word Counter free?
Yes. CharacterCounter.com's Word Counter is free to use and does not require signup.