Word counter
Count words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs in any text. See estimated reading time at average adult speed (~200–250 words per minute). SEO helpers flag when a draft title exceeds ~60 characters or a meta description exceeds ~160 — common search snippet limits — so you can trim before publishing.
Input text
Result
Words: 0
Characters: 0
Characters (no spaces): 0
Sentences: 0
Lines: 0
Paragraphs: 0
How to count words and check SEO length
1. Paste or type your article, meta description, or title draft.
2. Read word count, character counts, and estimated reading minutes.
3. Compare title and description lengths against SEO guidelines (60 / 160 characters).
4. Edit and watch counts update live — copy trimmed text to your CMS.
Word count examples
Blog post draft
1,850 words → reading time ≈ 7–9 minutes at 225 wpm. Good for in-depth SEO articles; landing pages often target 400–800 words.
Meta description trim
A 195-character description truncates in Google results. Cut to ≤160: “Free word counter with reading time and SEO title limits. Count words and characters locally in your browser — no upload.” (≈118 chars).
Title tag length
“Best Free Online Word Counter Tool for Writers and SEO in 2026” = 58 characters — fits desktop snippets. Mobile may cut earlier (~50 visible).
When to use this tool
• When you hit essay, blog, or social character limits before submit.
• When you draft SEO titles and meta descriptions with pixel-aware length.
• When you estimate read time for newsletter or video script pacing.
When to choose something else
• When you need keyword density analysis — use dedicated SEO suites.
• When you diff two documents — use the text diff tool.
• When you generate URL slugs — use the slug generator.
SEO length vs quality
Character limits are guidelines, not ranking factors by themselves. A compelling 55-character title beats a stuffed 60-character one. Meta descriptions do not directly rank but affect click-through rate — front-load benefit and primary keyword. Use this counter to avoid awkward truncation, then A/B test copy in Search Console for actual CTR, not just length compliance.
Reading time for UX
Blog templates often show “5 min read” to set expectations. Multiply word count by audience (kids ~150 wpm, technical docs slower). For speeches, 130–150 wpm speaking rate means 1,000 words ≈ 7–8 minutes on stage — word count divided by speaking wpm, not reading wpm.
Frequently asked questions
Why ~60 characters for SEO titles?
Google displays roughly 50–60 characters before ellipsis on desktop; shorter titles reduce truncation. Mobile shows fewer — put keywords early.
Why ~160 for meta descriptions?
Search snippets often cap near 150–160 characters. Longer text may not show fully, though Google sometimes rewrites descriptions.
How is reading time calculated?
Words ÷ ~225 wpm (adjustable assumption). Technical or dense text may need slower speed mentally.
Are hyphenated words one or two?
Typically one word (“well-being”). Non-standard punctuation may split differently — consistent with most word processors.
Does it count CJK characters?
East Asian characters often count per character rather than space-delimited words; we follow Unicode-aware boundaries where supported.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. Text stays in your browser.
Is this tool free?
Yes.