Does this count characters with or without spaces?

Both are shown. Characters with spaces is what most form fields and social platforms mean; characters without spaces is mainly used in translation pricing.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. Counting runs entirely in your browser — the text is never sent to a server and nothing is stored.

How is reading time calculated?

Words divided by 238, the average adult silent reading rate found in a 2019 meta-analysis. Reading aloud is estimated separately at 130 words per minute.

Word Counter

Quick answer

Paste text below to count words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs. Reading time is estimated at 238 words per minute, the average silent reading rate for adults.

Paste or type your text

Counting happens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.

Words

0 sentences · 0 paragraphs

Characters

0 without spaces

Reading time

—

at 238 words per minute

Word limits are enforced differently depending on who set them. Academic submissions usually count everything between the title and the bibliography; job applications often mean characters including spaces; social platforms count characters and treat emoji and links by their own rules.

Counting in the browser matters for a practical reason: drafts frequently contain material you would rather not upload. Nothing typed here leaves the page.

Which count does a limit actually mean?

Characters with spaces is the most common interpretation for form fields and meta descriptions. Characters without spaces appears mainly in translation and typesetting, where it is the basis for pricing.

Word counts differ between tools because of hyphens and numbers. A hyphenated compound counts as one word here, and a standalone number counts as a word — which is the same convention most word processors use.

Reading time and why estimates differ

The 238 words per minute figure comes from a 2019 meta-analysis of silent reading rates across nearly 200 studies. Many sites use 200 or 250; the difference on a 1,000-word article is about half a minute.

Reading aloud is far slower — roughly 130 words per minute for clear delivery. If you are timing a talk rather than an article, use the spoken figure and add time for pauses.

Reading ease, and its limits

The Flesch reading ease score combines sentence length and syllables per word. Scores of 60 to 70 read as plain English; 30 to 50 reads like an academic paper. Most newspapers land between 55 and 65.

It measures form, not clarity. A passage of short sentences made of vague words scores well and communicates nothing, and technical vocabulary drags the score down even when the writing is precise and necessary.

Frequently asked questions

Does this count characters with or without spaces?: Both are shown. Characters with spaces is what most form fields and social platforms mean; characters without spaces is mainly used in translation pricing.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?: No. Counting runs entirely in your browser — the text is never sent to a server and nothing is stored.
How is reading time calculated?: Words divided by 238, the average adult silent reading rate found in a 2019 meta-analysis. Reading aloud is estimated separately at 130 words per minute.

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Updated 2026-09-20 · all calculators. Results are estimates for guidance, not professional advice.