Word Counter

Using word counts to write with purpose

A word count is more than a number to satisfy an assignment brief. It tells you whether a piece is the right size for where it is going. A college essay with a 500-word limit, a LinkedIn post that loses readers after a few short paragraphs, a press release that editors expect on one page, and a product description that should be scannable in seconds all have natural lengths. Checking as you write helps you stay within them instead of cutting in a hurry at the end.

The reading time is especially useful for blogs and newsletters. Most adults read comfortably at around 230 words a minute, so a 1,200-word article takes roughly five minutes. If you are preparing a speech or a video script, use the speaking time instead, which assumes a slower pace closer to natural talk. A three-minute slot at a wedding or a school event fits around 400 to 450 words, which is shorter than most people expect.

Sentence and paragraph counts help with readability. If your word count is high but the sentence count is low, your sentences are probably long and hard to follow, especially on a phone. Breaking them up usually makes writing clearer without changing what it says. Words are counted by the spaces between them, which works well for English and for Indian languages written with spaces, such as Hindi and Marathi. Your text stays in your browser, so it is safe to check drafts, reports and private documents here. Paste in the final version too, because last-minute edits often push a piece just over its limit.