Word Counter
Live counts as you type or paste.
What the numbers are for
Characters with/without spaces matter for meta titles (~50-60 chars visible in Google), meta descriptions (~155), tweets/X posts (280), SMS and form limits. Words drive essay and article requirements — a typical blog post runs 800-1500 words, and SEO studies consistently favor comprehensive pieces over thin ones. Reading time assumes 200-250 words per minute, the average adult silent reading speed.
Unique words reveals lexical variety: a low ratio against total words signals repetitive writing — useful for tightening drafts. Everything computes locally in your browser; long documents are fine.
FAQ
How are words counted?
Any run of non-whitespace characters counts as one word — the same rule as most word processors, so "state-of-the-art" is one word and numbers count too.
What's a good reading speed assumption?
200 words/minute is conservative and common; technical content with code or figures reads slower, closer to 150-180 wpm.