Match the limit
Words for an essay, characters for an application field. Read the instructions first.
How to
Check a draft in six steps
Nothing to press. The panel updates as you type.
Add your text
Type, paste, or load a file with Upload file. A file goes to our server only to read its text.
Read the word count
The big number is your total. Compare it with your limit.
Check the length group
Characters, sentences and paragraphs, for forms that count those.
Look at the time
Reading and speaking time, in whole minutes.
Scan your top words
Pick a word near the top and check that each use earns its place.
Check sentence length
Average and longest sentence show where a passage drags.
The rule
What this word counter counts as a word
The word counter treats anything between two spaces or line breaks as one word. So well-written, 2026 and don't each count once, and extra spaces change nothing.
Some edge cases: a dash or bullet standing alone between spaces counts as a word. A long link counts as several, about one for every 9 characters. Chinese and Japanese characters count one each.
A page is looser. It holds about 500 words single-spaced or 250 double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. If the limit is in words, trust the word count.
Repetition
Keyword density, read the useful way
Under the counts sits a list of your most used words. Short words, everyday ones like the and and, and one-off words are left off.
Density is a word's uses divided by the total words, times 100. A 400-word history paper that uses significant 8 times gives 8 ÷ 400 × 100, or 2 percent.
Standalone numbers don't add to the list's total, so its percentages can sit slightly above your hand math.
Skip target percentages. Keep a word that names your topic. Replace filler like really or important with something specific.
Structure
How sentences and paragraphs are counted
A sentence ends at a period, question mark or exclamation point followed by a space and a capital, a number or a quote. Dr., Mr., e.g. and initials like J. Smith don't end one.
A new paragraph needs an empty line before it. A single line break doesn't start one, and several empty lines in a row count as one break.
Text pasted from a PDF often loses its empty lines. If the paragraph count looks low, add them back.
This matters when a prompt asks for three paragraphs, or a sentence has grown to forty words.
After the count
Turn the numbers into edits
Fix long sentences
Split the longest one, then run the grammar checker over the result.
Cut a long draft
Drop repeated points before evidence. For a short version of a long source, try the summarizer.
Vary a repeated word
When one word keeps coming back, the paraphraser can suggest another way to say it.
Measure one section
Use Paste for just the abstract when it has its own limit.
Copy it back
Edit in the box, then take the text with you using Copy.
Which count
Word count, character count or page count?
Use the unit your instructions name.
| Word counter | Character counter or word processor | |
|---|---|---|
| Essay limit | Live word total as you cut | A final check on the file |
| Character caps | Characters shown next to words | Our character counter, made for caps |
| Page limits | A rough estimate only | The formatted document |
| Talks | Speaking time from the count | No estimate, so use a timer |
| Copied PDF text | Counts exactly what you paste | May include headers and footers |
| Repeated words | Ranked list with shares | Usually not shown |
Try it
A quick test sentence
My college essay, a well-written 650-word draft, is due Friday.
Words10
Characters63
Both well-written and 650-word count as one word each, since no space splits them.
Who it's for
Who uses a word counter
Students with a hard limit
A high school senior trimming a personal statement, or a sophomore stretching a history paper to the minimum.
Writers on deadline
A content writer checking a blog draft against the brief before it goes out.
Second-language writers
A grad student from Korea keeping the sentences in a paper a readable length.
Timing
Reading time and speaking time
Both use one formula, words divided by words per minute. Reading time assumes about 238 words a minute, speaking time about 130.
Your pace may differ. Time yourself reading 300 words aloud. Two minutes means 150 words a minute, so a 900-word script runs about six.
That gives you a cutting target. A four-minute slot at that pace fits about 600 words.
Leave room for pauses. A script that fills the slot on paper runs over on stage.
Everyday checks
Six everyday length checks
Essays
Leave out the title page or works cited if the prompt does. Over the limit, cut repeated points first.
Applications
Check whether each box counts words or characters, and leave room for last edits.
Blog posts
Count the article alone, without menus or related links.
Speeches
Check speaking time before rehearsal and after each round of cuts.
Social captions
Most platforms cap characters, so watch that total with hashtags included.
Translation quotes
Count the source without menus or notes, so you and the translator price the same words.
Other tools
Try another tool on the same text
AI detectorMarks each sentence as AI-like or human-like and gives the whole text a range and a confidence rating.AI humanizerRewrites stiff AI drafts into plainer prose and checks that numbers, names and quotations come through.Grammar checkerFinds spelling, grammar and punctuation errors and lets you fix them one by one or all at once.SummarizerCuts a long text to a short, medium or long summary, or pulls out its key sentences.Paraphrasing toolSays the same thing in new words, in the mode you pick, from fluent to formal.Character counterCounts characters with and without spaces against the limits of common forms and posts.Plagiarism checkerFor finding which of your sentences already appear on public web pages, with a link to each source.
How many words is a page?
About 500 words single-spaced and about 250 double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. A larger font, wider margins or lots of short paragraphs lower that number. Handwritten pages hold far fewer. If your teacher sets pages, format the document as required and check how far it runs.
Does a word counter count numbers and hyphenated words?
Yes, here a number counts as a word, and a hyphenated compound counts as one word. So 1999 is one word, mother-in-law is one word, and well written without the hyphen is two. Punctuation attached to a word stays part of it and doesn't add to the count.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
At 238 words a minute, the counter's reading pace, 1,000 words take about 4 minutes. A dense textbook chapter takes longer. For your own figure, time yourself on one page and divide its words by the minutes.
How do I check the word count in Google Docs or Word?
In Google Docs, open Tools and choose Word count. In Microsoft Word, the count shows in the status bar at the bottom, and Review, then Word Count, gives the details. Select a passage first to count only that part.
Do spaces count toward the total?
Not toward words. Spaces only separate words, so typing two spaces instead of one changes nothing. They do count as characters, which is why the panel shows characters with and without spaces. Use the version without spaces only when a form says so.
Is the word counter free?
Yes. The word counter on Textlume is free, with no word limit and no account needed. Paste a single paragraph or a whole thesis chapter, count it as often as you like, and edit right in the box while the numbers update.
How does the counter split sentences and paragraphs?
A sentence ends at an end mark followed by a space and a capital letter, a number or a quote. Abbreviations like Dr. and e.g. and initials don't end one. Paragraphs are separated by an empty line. A single line break doesn't start a new paragraph, and several empty lines count as one break.
How many words is a 5 page essay?
About 1,250 words double-spaced, or about 2,500 single-spaced, at 12-point type with 1-inch margins. Headings, block quotes and short paragraphs push that number down. If the assignment gives both pages and words, the word count is the firmer target.
How long is the Common App essay?
The Common App personal essay allows up to 650 words. Draft and count it here, then paste the final text into the application itself and check the count it shows before you submit. Aim a little under the limit to leave room for a last edit.
Why do two word counters give different totals?
They disagree on edge cases like a dash between spaces, a bullet, a long URL or words joined by a slash. On ordinary prose the gap is usually a word or two. When a limit is strict, check with the tool your school or publisher uses.
Does the title or the bibliography count toward a word limit?
It depends on the instructions. Many essay prompts leave out the title, references and footnotes, and many journals give their own rule. When the prompt doesn't say, ask. Then paste only the parts that count into the box, so the total matches what the reader will measure.
Count your next draft
Paste it in, check the limit, and edit with the numbers in front of you.