How do you count words?

Words are counted by splitting the text on whitespace and punctuation. Our counter handles edge cases like multiple spaces and line breaks.

Can I count words from a PDF?

Yes, simply copy the text from your PDF document and paste it into the text area. Our tool will instantly count the words, characters, and provide all other metrics.

How many words per page?

Typically, a double-spaced page has about 250-300 words. Single-spaced pages have about 500 words. These are estimates; the exact count depends on font size and margins.

How many words do I need for a 5‑minute speech?

The average person speaks at about 130-150 words per minute. For a 5-minute speech, aim for 650-750 words. Our speaking time estimate helps you plan accordingly.

Do citations count in word count?

It depends on the assignment guidelines. Some instructors require citations to be included in the total word count, while others exclude them. Always check your syllabus.

Can I count words in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean?

Our tool counts characters for all languages, which is accurate for CJK scripts. Word count in these languages may not split correctly because they don't use spaces, but the character count is always reliable.

What are Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch‑Kincaid Grade Level?

These are readability formulas that estimate text difficulty. Flesch Reading Ease ranges from 0-100 (higher = easier). Flesch‑Kincaid Grade Level corresponds to U.S. school grade levels.

Word Counter

Real‑time word count, character count, readability scores, keyword density, and scenario saving. Paste or type your text.

Your text

⚠️ Text truncated to 100,000 characters.

Words

Unique Words

Characters

No Spaces

Sentences

Paragraphs

📖 Reading: 0 min | 🎤 Speaking: 0 min

Flesch Reading Ease

–

Paste text to see score

Flesch‑Kincaid Grade

–

Paste text to see score

Target words

Custom keyword

📊 Top 10 Keywords

Include common words

No text yet.

📖 Check your text's readability scores in more detail.

Open Readability Analyzer →

How It Works

Word count: Text is split on whitespace and punctuation. Hyphenated words and contractions count as one word.
Character count: Length with spaces vs. length after removing all spaces. Unicode characters are counted individually.
Sentences: Split on `.`, `!`, `?` while ignoring abbreviations and numbers.
Paragraphs: Two consecutive line breaks denote a new paragraph.
Reading & speaking time: Based on average speeds of 200 words per minute (reading) and 130 words per minute (speaking).
Readability: Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch‑Kincaid Grade Level formulas use sentence length and syllable count.

Word Count Guidelines

High school essay: 300‑1,000 words
College application essay: 250‑650 words
Blog post (ideal for SEO): 1,000‑2,500 words
5‑minute speech: ~650‑750 words
1 page double‑spaced: ~250‑300 words

Character Limits for Social Media

Twitter (X): 280 characters
Instagram caption: up to 2,200
LinkedIn post: up to 3,000
Facebook post: up to 63,206 (but short is better)
SMS: 160 characters

Book Word Counts

Book	Author	Approx. Words
The Great Gatsby	F. Scott Fitzgerald	47,000
To Kill a Mockingbird	Harper Lee	100,000
The Hobbit	J.R.R. Tolkien	95,000
Pride and Prejudice	Jane Austen	120,000
Fahrenheit 451	Ray Bradbury	46,000
Brave New World	Aldous Huxley	63,000
The Hunger Games	Suzanne Collins	99,000
The Alchemist	Paulo Coelho	48,000