A free online word counter
Type or paste your text into the box above. The counts update instantly as you type: words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs, plus how long the text takes to read or say out loud. It also lists the words you use most, which helps you spot repetition.
Common word count limits
| Type of writing | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Tweet / X post | 280 characters |
| Meta description (SEO) | 150–160 characters |
| College application essay | 250–650 words |
| Cover letter | 250–400 words |
| Blog post | 1,000–2,000 words |
| Short story | 1,000–7,500 words |
Tips for hitting a word count
- Too long? Cut filler words like “very”, “really” and “that”, and replace phrases with single words.
- Too short? Add an example, a statistic or a counter-argument rather than padding.