Writing

Free Online Word Counter — Count Words & Characters

Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs instantly as you type. Free online word counter with reading time estimate and keyword density. No sign-up required.

Start typing to see stats

Stats appear as you type.

What does this Word Counter do?

Our Word Counter tool gives you a real-time breakdown of your text as you type — total word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentence count, paragraph count, estimated reading time at 200 words per minute, and the top recurring keywords filtered by English stop words. It's ideal for writers tracking SEO blog post targets, students meeting assignment word limits, social media managers checking platform character caps, and email marketers optimising subject lines. All processing happens entirely in your browser — no text is ever uploaded or stored anywhere. Simply paste or type your content and get instant results with no sign-up required.

Who needs an online word counter?

How to count words — 3 steps

  1. Paste or type your text — copy your draft from anywhere and paste it into the text area, or type directly.
  2. Read your stats instantly — word count, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time update in real time with every keystroke.
  3. Check keyword density — scroll to the Top Keywords panel to see which words appear most frequently and at what density percentage.

How is reading time calculated?

Reading time is calculated by dividing the total word count by 200 words per minute, the average adult silent reading speed. A 1,000-word article takes approximately 5 minutes; a 500-word piece takes 2–3 minutes. The result is always rounded up to the nearest minute.

What is keyword density?

Keyword density is the percentage of times a specific word appears relative to the total word count. The Top Keywords panel shows the most frequently used significant words after filtering out common English stop words (articles, prepositions, conjunctions). In SEO, a keyword density of 1–2% for your primary keyword is generally healthy — higher may be flagged as keyword stuffing.

Character limits for common platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

How many words should a blog post be for good SEO?

There is no single ideal length, but research consistently shows that longer, comprehensive content tends to rank better for competitive keywords. Blog posts targeting informational queries typically perform best at 1,500–2,500 words. For highly competitive topics, 2,500–4,000 words is common among top-ranking pages. That said, a focused 800-word post that fully answers a specific question can outrank a padded 3,000-word article. Quality and comprehensiveness matter more than hitting an arbitrary word count.

Does Google count words on a page for ranking?

Google does not use word count as a direct ranking signal. However, word count is often correlated with content depth and comprehensiveness, which Google does reward. A longer post that thoroughly covers a topic, includes related keywords naturally, answers follow-up questions, and earns backlinks will tend to outrank a thin page. Think of word count as a proxy for thoroughness, not a metric to game.

What's the difference between word count and character count?

Word count totals the number of individual words (split by whitespace), while character count totals every individual character including letters, spaces, punctuation, and numbers. Character count is most relevant for platform limits: Twitter allows 280 characters per post, Google displays meta descriptions up to ~155–160 characters, and SMS messages are capped at 160 characters. Word count is more relevant for content length guidelines, assignments, and estimating reading time.

How do I check word count in Google Docs vs online?

In Google Docs, go to Tools → Word Count (or press Ctrl+Shift+C on Windows / Cmd+Shift+C on Mac) to see word count, character count, and page count. This tool offers a faster alternative when you're working outside Google Docs — just paste your text and counts appear instantly. This tool also shows reading time and keyword density, which Google Docs does not.

What is the ideal word count for a LinkedIn post?

LinkedIn posts are capped at 3,000 characters, but the platform truncates text after roughly 210 characters with a "see more" link. Posts under 210 characters get the full text shown in the feed, leading to higher engagement. For longer thought-leadership content, 700–1,300 characters (roughly 100–200 words) tends to perform well — long enough to provide value but short enough to hold attention. Use the character counter on this tool to stay within your target range.

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