Free Word Counter
Paste or type your text to instantly count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time. No signup required.
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Total word count
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Including spaces
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Excluding spaces
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Ending with . ! ?
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Separated by blank line
0 min
At 200 words per minute
Top 10 most frequent words will appear here once you start typing.
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Why Word Count Matters for SEO
Word count is not a ranking factor on its own, but it is a useful proxy for depth. Google rewards pages that thoroughly cover a topic.
For many informational queries, the top-ranking pages are in-depth, long-form guides. The right length varies by search intent — checking how thoroughly the current top results cover the topic is a quick way to set your target.
Depth Signals Authority
In-depth content tends to attract more backlinks and shares, and keeps readers engaged for longer.
Platform Character Limits
Meta descriptions, title tags, tweets, and ad copy all have hard limits. Exceed them and your message gets truncated — or rejected entirely.
- Match competitor content depth before hitting publish
- Stay within platform limits for social and ad copy
- Estimate reading time to reduce bounce rate on long posts
Top words
How to Use the Word Counter
Get your word count and writing stats in seconds — no account, no install, no friction.
Paste or Type Your Text
Drop your article, essay, social post, or any text into the editor. Stats update instantly as you type — no button to click.
Review Your Stats
See words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time in real time. Use the Top Words table to spot overused terms.
Optimize Before Publishing
Adjust your content to hit your target word count, stay within platform limits, or improve keyword distribution — all before you publish.
Built for Every Kind of Writer
Whether you are hitting a word count requirement or staying under a character limit, this tool has you covered.
Bloggers
Hit your target word count and check reading time before publishing — so readers know what they are in for.
Students
Meet assignment word limits precisely. No more guessing — know exactly where you stand as you write.
Copywriters
Stay within ad and landing page word counts. Tight copy requires knowing exactly how many words you have used.
Social Media Managers
Draft posts within platform limits for Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn before copying into the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the word counter count words?
A word is any run of letters or numbers, in any language. Words joined by an apostrophe or hyphen ("don't", "e-mail") count as one word, and standalone punctuation such as a dash is not counted. Results are very close to Google Docs and Microsoft Word, though edge cases like hyphenated compounds can differ slightly.
What is a good word count for SEO?
Google does not set a recommended word count — the right length depends on search intent. Informational queries are often won by in-depth guides, while transactional pages usually work best with concise copy focused on the conversion. There is no universal number: match the depth of the top-ranking pages for your target keyword.
Why does reading time matter for content?
Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute, a common benchmark for adult reading speed, and rounded up to the nearest minute. Showing an estimated reading time helps readers decide whether to commit to a long article, which can make them more likely to stay and finish it.
What are the character limits I should know about?
Key limits: Google title tags should be under 60 characters, meta descriptions under 160 characters, tweets are capped at 280 characters, and Instagram bios at 150 characters. SMS messages are 160 characters per segment. Staying within these limits ensures your content displays properly without truncation.
How is this different from the word count in Google Docs?
The core word count is very close, but this tool also shows paragraph and sentence counts, an estimated reading time, and a Top Words table listing your 10 most frequent words (common stopwords excluded) — useful for spotting repetition before publishing.
Count Words.
Then Write Less.
LazySEO automatically generates SEO-optimized articles at the ideal word count for your target keyword — researched, written, and published on autopilot.
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Key terms explained
Plain-English definitions from the LazySEO SEO glossary.