Word counter

How to use the word counter

1. Paste your text into the box, or start typing.
2. Read the counts for words, characters, sentences and paragraphs as you go.
3. Add a word limit if you have one, and keep an eye on the bar.
4. Check the most used words list for anything you repeat too often.

How reading and speaking time are worked out

Reading time assumes about 238 words a minute, a commonly used average for adults reading silently. Speaking time assumes about 130 words a minute, a comfortable pace for a talk or presentation where people need to follow you.

So a 1,000 word essay takes roughly 4 minutes to read and about 7 to 8 minutes to say out loud. If you have been given a 5 minute slot for a speech, aim for around 650 words, and fewer if you plan to pause for slides or questions.

Treat both figures as a guide. Dense technical writing reads slower, and nerves tend to speed people up.

Why word counts differ between tools

There is no single rule for what counts as a word, so Word, Google Docs and online counters can disagree by a few words on the same text. The usual differences come from:

• Hyphenated words such as "well-known", which some tools count as one word and others as two
• Dashes and slashes with no spaces around them, as in "and/or"
• Numbers, URLs and email addresses
• Footnotes, headers and text boxes, which some programs leave out

If a university, publisher or competition sets a limit, check which tool they use and whether references, footnotes and the bibliography count. A few words either way rarely matters, but a whole reference list can.

Using the most used words list

The list shows the words you use most often. It is a quick way to spot habits like starting every sentence with "however" or leaning on "very" and "really". If one word keeps turning up in a cover letter or personal statement, swapping a few for alternatives usually makes the writing read better and can free up space under a tight limit.

Questions people ask