Word Counter
Count words, characters, sentences and reading time for any text instantly.
Hi! This page counts the words in your writing. Start by typing or pasting your text in the Text box.
Results
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The 7ESL Word Counter counts the words, characters, and sentences in your text and updates the moment you type. There is no button to press and nothing to send away: everything is worked out instantly in your own browser, so it is fast and your text stays private. Paste an essay, a blog post, a tweet, or a job application, and the counter shows you exactly how long it is, along with an estimate of how long it takes to read aloud.
How to use the Word Counter
Type or paste your text into the box. The counts appear straight away and keep refreshing as you add or delete words, so you can watch the numbers move while you write. There are no settings to configure and nothing to install. Because the work happens locally, you can use it on very long documents without any wait, and you can edit freely until the length is exactly where you want it.
Reading the results
The tool shows five figures side by side. Words counts every run of non-space characters, the number most assignments and limits are based on. Characters counts everything including spaces, while Characters (no spaces) strips the spaces out, which is the count many social posts and form fields use. Sentences is an estimate based on full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks, so it gives a quick sense of how your text is broken up. Reading time estimates how long the text takes to read silently at the adult average of about 238 words a minute.
Why word counts matter
Most writing comes with a length target. Essays and reports have word limits, search snippets and meta descriptions have character limits, and posts on social platforms cut off after a set number of characters. Keeping an eye on these counts as you write saves you from cutting or padding at the last minute. The reading-time figure is useful for speeches, presentations, and video scripts, where you need words to fit a set number of minutes. Writers and students also use the counter to set daily goals and track progress.
Sentence counter
Need the sentence count on its own? The sentence counter below counts sentences, words, characters and paragraphs, and shows the average words per sentence - the quickest style check there is. Most clear non-fiction averages 15 to 20 words per sentence; above 25, readers start to lose the thread. Open "Show sentences" to see exactly where each sentence was split.
Sentences end at a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Abbreviations such as Mr., Dr., e.g. and U.S. and decimals like 3.5 do not end a sentence, so the count matches what a reader sees.
Reading time calculator
The reading time calculator turns your word count into minutes for two situations: reading silently and speaking aloud. Pick a reading speed - 150 words per minute for careful or second-language readers, 238 for the adult average, 300 for fast readers - and both times update as you type. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a comfortable presentation pace.
Rule of thumb: a 1,000-word article takes about 4 minutes to read, and a 5-minute speech is about 650 words.
Remove extra spaces
Text copied from a PDF, an email or a spreadsheet usually brings invisible junk with it: double spaces, spaces at the ends of lines, blank lines and hard line breaks in the middle of sentences. The cleaner below removes extra spaces in one click. Collapse repeated spaces and tabs, trim line ends, remove empty lines, or join everything into one paragraph, then copy the clean text back.
Fixing text from a PDF? Tick "Remove ALL line breaks" and keep "Collapse repeated spaces" on. Your words and punctuation are never changed, and the text never leaves your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Word Counter count words?
It counts every group of non-space characters as one word, which matches the way most assignments, editors, and word limits count. The figures update instantly as you type or paste.
What is the difference between the two character counts?
Characters counts everything in your text including spaces, while Characters (no spaces) leaves the spaces out. Some platforms and form fields use one and some use the other, so both are shown.
How is the reading time worked out?
It is an estimate based on the average adult silent reading pace of about 238 words per minute. For speeches, scripts and presentations, use the reading time calculator further down this page: it also shows speaking time at 130 words per minute.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. All the counting happens in your own browser, so your text never leaves your device. That makes the tool both fast and private, even for long documents.
Is the Word Counter free?
Yes, it is completely free to use in any modern web browser, with no sign-up required.
How do I count sentences in my text?
Paste the text into the Word Counter: the Sentences figure updates as you type. For paragraphs and the average number of words per sentence, use the sentence counter further down this page.
What is a good average sentence length?
Most clear non-fiction averages 15 to 20 words per sentence, and popular web writing often sits nearer 12. Averages above 25 words per sentence make text noticeably harder to follow and lower readability scores.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
At a comfortable presentation pace of 130 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is roughly 650 words, and a 10-minute talk about 1,300. The reading time calculator on this page shows both reading and speaking time for your own text.
How do I remove double spaces from my text?
Use the Remove extra spaces cleaner on this page: keep "Collapse repeated spaces and tabs" ticked and click Clean text. Every run of two or more spaces or tabs becomes a single space. For text copied from a PDF, also tick "Remove ALL line breaks".