Word Counter

Type or paste your text to instantly count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimate reading time.

📊 Your Text

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Words
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Sentences
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Paragraphs
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Reading Time
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Speaking Time

Why Word Count Matters

Whether you're writing a tweet, a blog post, a school essay, or a professional report, knowing your word count is essential. Many platforms and publications have strict word or character limits. Going over (or under) can mean your content gets cut off, rejected, or loses its impact.

Word count is also closely tied to reading time, which is increasingly displayed on blogs and news sites. Readers use estimated reading time to decide whether to commit to an article. A 5-minute read (~1,000 words) is a popular sweet spot for online content.

Character Limits for Social Media

Each social media platform enforces its own character limits:

Twitter / X: 280 characters for standard posts. Premium subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters.
Instagram: Captions can be up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 characters show before "more."
LinkedIn: Posts allow up to 3,000 characters. Articles have no practical limit.
Facebook: Posts can be up to 63,206 characters, but shorter posts tend to perform better.
YouTube: Video titles are limited to 100 characters; descriptions allow up to 5,000 characters.

Reading Time Explained

Average adult reading speed is approximately 200–250 words per minute for non-fiction content. Our tool uses 200 WPM as a conservative estimate. For technical or academic content, reading speed may drop to 100–150 WPM. For fiction or casual content, readers may reach 250–300 WPM.

Average speaking pace is approximately 130 words per minute for presentations and speeches. This is slower than conversational speech (which averages 140–160 WPM) because speakers pause for emphasis, audience comprehension, and slide transitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I count words in a text?
Paste or type your text into the word counter above. It automatically counts words by splitting the text on spaces and line breaks. For short texts, you can count manually, but a tool is faster and more accurate for anything beyond a few sentences.
How many words is a 1 minute speech?
A 1-minute speech is approximately 130 words at a typical speaking pace. Professional speakers average about 130 words per minute, while conversational speech can reach 140–160 WPM.
How long does it take to read 1000 words?
Approximately 5 minutes at an average reading speed of 200 words per minute. Faster readers may finish in 3–4 minutes, while technical content may take 7–8 minutes.
What is the Twitter character limit?
Twitter (now X) allows 280 characters for standard posts. Premium subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters. Note that URLs count as 23 characters regardless of their actual length.
How many words is a 5 minute read?
A 5-minute read is approximately 1,000 words at 200 words per minute. This is a popular length for blog posts and online articles.