Count words and characters as you type
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Character limits
Most used words
How this word counter works
A word is any run of letters or numbers separated by spaces or line breaks. Hyphenated words such as "well-known" and contractions such as "don't" each count as one word, which matches how most teachers, editors and publishers count.
Characters are counted with spaces, which is what X, Instagram and Google use for their limits, and without spaces, which some translation and publishing jobs ask for. Reading time assumes about 238 words per minute and speaking time about 150.
Common word count targets
A typical high school essay runs 300 to 1,000 words, and a university essay often 1,500 to 3,000. Blog posts that rank well in search are commonly 1,000 to 2,000 words. A one-minute speech is roughly 150 words and a ten-minute talk around 1,500.
Questions people ask
How does the word counter count words?
A word is any group of letters or numbers separated by spaces or line breaks. Hyphenated words like well-known count as one word, and contractions like don't count as one word.
How many words is a 5 minute speech?
At an average speaking pace of about 150 words per minute, a 5 minute speech is roughly 750 words.
How many characters can a post on X have?
Standard posts on X (formerly Twitter) are limited to 280 characters.
How long should a meta description be?
Aim for about 150 to 160 characters so Google is less likely to cut it off in search results. Page titles work best under about 60 characters.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced, using a 12 point font and standard margins.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. All counting happens in your browser and your text is never uploaded. A copy is kept only on your own device so it is still here if you refresh. Press Clear to remove it.