How to use the character counter
Type or paste text into the box. Characters (with and without spaces), words, lines, paragraphs, bytes, and estimated reading and speaking time update as you type. There is no length cap, so you can paste an entire manuscript.
- Target length: enter a limit (for example 650 words) and choose what to count. A progress bar shows how much is left or how far over you are.
- Multiple drafts: use + New draft to keep each essay question or post separate. Titles and targets are saved per draft.
- Selection count: highlight part of the text to count just that part.
- Auto-save: everything is stored in your browser as you type and is never uploaded. Once the page is open it keeps working without a connection.
How characters, words and bytes are counted
Characters counts every visible character plus spaces and line breaks (each line break counts as one). No spaces removes spaces, tabs and line breaks. Emoji and accented letters built from several code points count as one character, the way you see them.
Words are runs of characters separated by spaces or line breaks, so “well-known” is one word. Paragraphs are lines that contain text. Bytes is the real UTF-8 size: 1 byte for basic Latin letters, digits, spaces and line breaks, 2–3 for accented letters and most symbols, and 4 for emoji.
Reading and speaking time
Reading time uses 238 words per minute, the average silent reading rate for English non-fiction found in a meta-analysis of 190 studies (Brysbaert, 2019). Fiction is read a little faster, about 260 wpm.
Speaking time defaults to 150 words per minute; the same paper notes that audiobooks are narrated at about 140–180 wpm. Change the rate to match your own pace when timing a speech or presentation.
Tips for hitting a word limit
Application portals do not always count the same way. Some count line breaks, some count characters rather than words, and some trim spaces. Check the instructions, paste a draft into the real form before the deadline, and leave a small margin below the limit.
FAQ
Do spaces and line breaks count as characters?
In Characters, yes: each space and each line break counts as one. No spaces excludes all spaces, tabs and line breaks.
Why does another site show a different number?
Tools differ on emoji (some count one emoji as two), line breaks and hyphenated words. This counter counts what you see: one emoji is one character.
Is there a length limit?
No. You can paste very long documents; counting happens instantly in your browser.
Is my text uploaded or saved?
It is saved only in this browser’s local storage so you do not lose work, and it is never sent anywhere. Clear or delete the draft on a shared computer.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, all counting and saving happen locally, so you can keep writing without a connection.