Does the word counter send my text anywhere?

No. Your text never leaves your device. All counting happens in your browser with JavaScript — nothing is uploaded to a server.

How is reading time calculated?

We use an average adult silent reading speed of 200 words per minute and round up to the nearest whole minute, which is the convention used by most blogging platforms.

How do you count a sentence?

A sentence is any run of text that ends in one or more sentence terminators (period, exclamation mark, or question mark). “Wait... what?!” counts as two sentences.

What counts as a paragraph?

Blocks of text separated by one or more blank lines. Single line breaks within a block do not start a new paragraph.

Is there a limit on how much text I can paste?

There is no fixed character limit. Counting runs instantly on your own device, so you can paste anything from a single tweet to a full-length manuscript and still get a real-time count as you edit.

Does the counter update automatically as I type?

Yes. Every statistic — words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, lines and reading time — recalculates live on each keystroke or paste. There is no button to press and no save step.

Does it count words the same way as Microsoft Word or Google Docs?

Very closely. Words are counted by splitting on whitespace, which matches how most word processors and publishers measure length, so the numbers line up with the limits editors and platforms quote.

Does the word counter work offline?

Yes. After the page loads it needs no connection, so you can analyse text with the internet switched off — your draft never leaves the browser.

Word Counter

Count words, characters, sentences, and reading time as you type.

ToolFlux's Word Counter gives a live count of words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, lines and reading time the moment you paste text — everything runs in your browser, so your draft never uploads.

Your text never leaves your device — all counting happens in your browser.

Text to analyse

Words: 0
Characters: 0
Characters (no spaces): 0
Sentences: 0
Paragraphs: 0
Lines: 0
Reading time: 0 min

Count words and characters online, instantly and privately

Our free word counter gives you a live breakdown of any piece of writing the moment you paste it in. Whether you are trimming an essay to a strict limit, polishing a meta description, drafting a tweet, or checking the length of a cover letter, you get instant feedback on words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, lines, and estimated reading time. Everything runs inside your browser, so your draft stays completely private — nothing is ever uploaded.

How to use the word counter

Add your text Type directly into the box above, or paste text copied from any document.
Read the live statistics Watch the statistics panel update in real time as you edit.
Check against a limit Use the character count to stay within platform limits — for example, 160 characters for an SMS or meta description, or 280 for a post on X.
Gauge the reading time Use the reading-time estimate to see how long an article will take to read.
Edit freely Keep editing — there is no save button and no account required.

Common use cases

Students and academics hitting exact essay or abstract word limits.
Content writers and SEO specialists sizing titles, meta descriptions, and article bodies.
Social media managers staying under per-platform character caps.
Translators and editors quoting jobs by word count.
Job seekers keeping cover letters and bios concise.

Why character and word counts can differ between tools

Different tools apply different rules. We count characters by Unicode code point, so an emoji counts as a single character even though it may use several bytes internally. Words are counted by splitting on whitespace, which matches how most writing apps and publishers measure length. Because the rules are explicit and consistent, you can rely on the same numbers every time you return to the page.

Frequently asked questions

Does the word counter send my text anywhere?: No. Your text never leaves your device. All counting happens in your browser with JavaScript — nothing is uploaded to a server.
How is reading time calculated?: We use an average adult silent reading speed of 200 words per minute and round up to the nearest whole minute, which is the convention used by most blogging platforms.
How do you count a sentence?: A sentence is any run of text that ends in one or more sentence terminators (period, exclamation mark, or question mark). “Wait... what?!” counts as two sentences.
What counts as a paragraph?: Blocks of text separated by one or more blank lines. Single line breaks within a block do not start a new paragraph.
Is there a limit on how much text I can paste?: There is no fixed character limit. Counting runs instantly on your own device, so you can paste anything from a single tweet to a full-length manuscript and still get a real-time count as you edit.
Does the counter update automatically as I type?: Yes. Every statistic — words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, lines and reading time — recalculates live on each keystroke or paste. There is no button to press and no save step.
Does it count words the same way as Microsoft Word or Google Docs?: Very closely. Words are counted by splitting on whitespace, which matches how most word processors and publishers measure length, so the numbers line up with the limits editors and platforms quote.
Does the word counter work offline?: Yes. After the page loads it needs no connection, so you can analyse text with the internet switched off — your draft never leaves the browser.