Word Counter
Paste your writing and instantly see your word count, character count, and estimated reading time.
What Is the Word Counter?
The Word Counter tracks how many words are in your text in real time, along with supporting stats like character count, line count, and an estimated reading time based on an average reading speed. It's built for writers who need to hit a specific word count for an essay, article, or assignment, and for content creators who want a quick sense of how long a piece of writing will take readers to get through.
Because the count updates as you type, you can watch your progress toward a word count goal without needing to paste your text into a separate document or word processor. The reading time estimate is especially useful for blog writers and content marketers planning how a post will read on the page.
How To Use the Word Counter
Paste your writing — Add your essay, article or draft into the text box above.
Watch your word count update — Word count, character count and reading time all update live.
Check reading time — Use the estimated reading time to gauge how long your content will take to read.
Key Benefits
📊 Live Word Count
See your exact word count update instantly with every keystroke.
⏱️ Reading Time Estimate
Get an estimated reading time based on a standard 200 words-per-minute pace.
🎓 Great For Essays & Assignments
Quickly confirm you've hit a required word count for school or work.
✍️ Built For Writers
Track sentence and paragraph structure alongside your overall word count.
Typical Word Count Targets
Features
- Live word count with every keystroke
- Character, sentence and reading time stats
- No word limit on pasted text
- One-click copy of your original text
- Clear button to start fresh instantly
Frequently Asked Questions
Reading time is estimated using an average adult reading speed of about 200 words per minute, rounded up to the nearest minute.
Hyphenated words like 'well-known' are counted as a single word, matching how most word processors count them.
Yes, paste your essay and watch the live count to stay within your required word range.
This free word counter online tool is ideal for essays, articles, and any writing with a target word count.