How to use the word counter
Type in the box or paste text from a document, email or web page. The counts update instantly with every keystroke, so you can trim or extend your writing until it fits a limit. Nothing needs to be submitted and there is no length cap beyond what your device can handle.
What each figure means
- Words: groups of characters separated by whitespace.
- Characters: every letter, digit, symbol, space and line break. Emoji and accented letters count as one character each.
- Sentences: stretches of text ending in a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Abbreviations such as “e.g.” can add to this count.
- Paragraphs: blocks of text separated by line breaks.
- Reading and speaking time: estimates at 238 and 150 words per minute.
Common length limits
A meta description is best kept under about 160 characters and a page title under 60. A single SMS holds 160 characters in the standard alphabet. A five-minute speech is roughly 750 words, and a double-spaced typed page holds around 250 to 300 words.