How is reading time calculated?

We assume 200 words per minute, which is the average adult silent reading speed for English. Adjust mentally if your text is more technical.

Does it count Chinese or Japanese characters as words?

For CJK text, it counts characters rather than words (since they're not space-separated). Both metrics are displayed.

How is a word defined?

A sequence of characters separated by whitespace. Hyphenated words like 'well-known' count as one word.

What's the ideal meta description length?

Google typically displays up to 160 characters. Aim for 150–160 characters for meta descriptions.

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Word & Character Counter

Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading time.

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About this tool

Paste any text to see counts for words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, and an estimated reading time at 200 words per minute.

How to use

1 Paste or type your text into the input area.
2 Word, character, sentence, paragraph, and reading-time counts update in real time.
3 Check character count with and without spaces below the main count.
4 Use for SEO meta descriptions (under 160 chars), tweets (280 chars), or academic word limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

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