Counting words the standard way
This counter follows the same rules as Microsoft Word and Google Docs: a word is anything between spaces that contains at least one letter or number. So “don't”, “well-known” and “3.14” each count as one word, while a stray dash or emoji on its own doesn't count. Chinese and Japanese are written without spaces, so each character counts as one word, the same convention Word uses.
That means you can trust the number for school and work limits. If your teacher or editor uses Word or Google Docs, you should see the same count here.
Setting a word goal
Type a target into Word goal (250, 500, 1,000…) and a progress bar shows how many words you have left. It turns green when you reach the goal. This is handy for:
- essays and application questions with a minimum length,
- daily writing habits (“500 words a day”),
- short-answer questions where you must stay close to a number such as 250 words.
For a maximum limit, watch the Words tile instead and trim until you are under.
Writing sprints: a word counter with a timer
A writing sprint is a short, timed burst where the only goal is to keep writing. It is a favorite technique of novelists (NaNoWriMo participants use it constantly) because the clock makes it easier to ignore your inner editor.
- Pick a length: 5, 10, 15 or 25 minutes, or type your own.
- Press Start and write in the text box.
- The timer counts only the words you add during the sprint and shows your words per minute.
- Pause if you are interrupted, or press Finish to stop early.
Copy-typing speeds are often 40 words per minute or more, but composing is much slower: many writers manage somewhere around 10–25 words per minute in a sprint. Track your own numbers over a few sessions instead of comparing yourself with others.
Reading time and speaking time
Reading time uses 238 words per minute, the average silent reading speed for adults found in a large 2019 review of studies. Speaking time uses 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for presentations and video voice-overs. A 1,000-word article takes about 4 minutes to read and 7 minutes to say out loud.
Keyword density and repeated words
The keyword list shows the words (or 2- and 3-word phrases) you use most, with their share of all words. Use it to:
- catch words you repeat without noticing,
- check that an article actually covers its main topic,
- make sure an SEO keyword appears naturally, without stuffing it in.
Common words like “the” and “and” are ignored by default; untick the option to include them.
Readability
Reading ease and grade level use the Flesch formulas, which look at sentence length and syllables per word. A reading ease of 60–70 is plain English that most adults read comfortably. The scores are estimates for English prose; they don't understand meaning, so treat them as a nudge to shorten long sentences, not as a grade.
Spelling and privacy
The text box uses your browser's built-in spellchecker, so typos are underlined as you write. There is no grammar checking. Everything happens in your browser: your text is never uploaded, which makes it safe for drafts and confidential documents.