+61 2 8880 5733

Free · Real-Time · No Sign-Up Required

Free Word Counter
& Readability Checker

Paste or type your text to see live word, character, and sentence counts — plus a readability score, keyword density, and word count target tracking, all updating instantly as you type.

100% Free forever Updates as you type Readability score included Text stays private

Your Text

Characters

No Spaces

Sentences

Paragraphs

Reading Time

Speaking Time

Unique Words

Words/Sentence

1.9M+

Documents counted this year

Live

Updates as you type, no delay

0ms

Server round-trip — runs in your browser

4.9/5

Rating from 5000+ student reviews

Advantages Of Word Counter

More than just a number

Most word counters stop at the basics. Ours gives you the full picture — readability, keyword balance, and target tracking, all in one place.

Truly Real-Time

Every statistic recalculates instantly as you type — no "Count" button to click, no server delay. Everything runs locally in your browser, so it works even on a slow connection.

Built-In Readability Score

See your Flesch Reading Ease score update live, with a plain-English explanation of what it means for your intended reader — whether that's a Year 10 marking rubric or a postgraduate dissertation panel.

Word Count Target Tracking

Enter your assignment's required word count and watch the progress bar fill in real time. The colour-coded status tells you instantly if you're under, on track, or over — no manual math required.

Keyword Density Insight

See your most-repeated words ranked by frequency. Useful for spotting overused phrases in your essay or checking keyword balance if you're writing SEO content for a marketing assignment.

100% Private

Your text never leaves your browser — there's no server upload, no logging, no storage. Counting happens entirely client-side, which is also why it's instant.

Speaking Time Too

Preparing a presentation, viva, or speech? See estimated speaking time alongside reading time, so you know whether your script fits your allotted slot before you even rehearse.

How Does Word Counter Work

From blank box to full breakdown

No buttons, no waiting — just start typing and every statistic updates immediately.

Paste or Type

Drop in your essay, paste from your draft, or upload a .txt file directly. Stats begin updating from your very first keystroke.

Set Your Target

Use the quick preset dropdown or type your assignment's required word count to track your progress with a live status bar.

Check Readability

Watch the readability gauge update as you write. If your score skews "Difficult", consider shortening sentences or simplifying vocabulary.

Refine & Submit

Use the keyword density panel to spot overused words, hit your target range, and copy your final text straight from the tool.

Word Count Reference Guide

How long should your document be?

Typical word count ranges for the documents students and professionals write most often.

College Essay

250–650

Common app and admissions essays usually cap around 650 words.

Standard Essay

1,000–1,500

Typical undergraduate essay length for most weekly assignments.

Cover Letter

250–400

One page max — recruiters spend under 30 seconds on a first read.

Resume (1 page)

400–550

Roughly 450–500 words fits comfortably on a single A4 page.

Blog Post

1,000–1,500

Long enough for SEO value, short enough to hold reader attention.

5-Minute Speech

600–700

Based on an average speaking rate of roughly 130 words per minute.

Dissertation Chapter

6,000–10,000

Varies heavily by chapter type — literature reviews run longest.

Abstract

150–300

Most journals enforce a strict 250-word abstract limit.

Writing Tips

Hit your word count without padding

Whether you're under or over your limit, here's how to fix it without weakening your argument.

Under your target? Go deeper, not wider

Instead of adding new points, develop your existing arguments further — add a counter-example, explain implications, or strengthen your evidence. This adds words while making the essay stronger, not just longer.

Over your limit? Cut redundancy first

Look for repeated ideas restated in different words, throat-clearing phrases like "it is important to note that," and overly long quotations. Cutting these usually trims 10-15% without losing any actual content.

Watch your readability score, not just length

A 1,500-word essay packed with 40-word sentences reads as exhausting, regardless of hitting the target. Aim for variety — mix shorter punchy sentences with longer explanatory ones for better flow.

Check your keyword density for repetition

If the same word appears in the top of your keyword list far more than expected, you might be over-relying on one term. Swap in synonyms or restructure sentences to vary your vocabulary.

Know your tolerance range before stressing

Most universities allow a ±10% tolerance on word counts (e.g. 1,350-1,650 for a 1,500-word essay). Check your unit guide — you may have more flexibility than you think.

Check if your word count includes references

Many assignment briefs exclude the reference list, footnotes, and appendices from the official word count. Always check your unit guide so you're not unnecessarily cutting your actual argument.

What Students Say

Trusted by 5000+ students

Real feedback from students who use our word counter every time they write.

The target tracker is genuinely useful — I set it to 2,000 and just watched the bar fill while writing. No more pasting into Word every ten minutes to check.

Hana L.

Psychology · University of Melbourne

Verified

The readability score caught that my methodology section was reading at a "very difficult" level. Shortened a few sentences and it dropped into "standard" — my supervisor noticed the improvement immediately.

Daniel K.

PhD Education · University of Oxford

Verified

Used the speaking time estimate to time my viva presentation. Came out almost exactly right — 12 minutes estimated, 11.5 actual. Way more accurate than just guessing.

Sara R.

MBA · Melbourne Business School

Verified

As an international student I wasn't sure my cover letter was the right length. The preset dropdown showed me 400 words is standard and I was way over at 750 — trimmed it down and got an interview the same week.

Mia A.

Business · RMIT University

Verified

The keyword density list helped me realise I used "however" eleven times in one essay. Fixed the repetition and the whole thing read so much smoother afterward.

Jack P.

Law · University of Cambridge

Verified

Genuinely the fastest word counter I've used — no lag at all even pasting in a 5,000-word chapter. The unique word count stat is a nice touch I haven't seen on other free tools.

Noah C.

Engineering · Stanford University

Verified

Frequently Asked Questions

Your questions, answered

Everything students ask about our Word Counter — answered clearly.

Q01 Is the Word Counter completely free?

Yes — 100% free with no limits on text length, no account required, and no premium tier hiding features like readability or keyword density. Use it as often as you need across every assignment.

Q02 How is the word count actually calculated?

We split your text on whitespace (spaces, tabs, line breaks) and count each resulting chunk as one word, ignoring empty strings. This matches how Microsoft Word and Google Docs calculate word count, so the number you see here should match what your word processor reports for the same text.

Q03 What is the readability score based on?

We calculate the Flesch Reading Ease score, a well-established formula based on average sentence length and average syllables per word. Scores range from 0 (very difficult, postgraduate level) to 100 (very easy, simple language). Most academic writing scores between 30 and 50, which is considered "difficult" but appropriate for an educated audience — this isn't necessarily a problem unless your score is unusually extreme for your context.

Q04 Will my text be saved or stored anywhere?

No. All counting happens directly in your browser using JavaScript — your text is never sent to a server, logged, or stored anywhere. This is also why the counter updates instantly with zero delay: there's no network round-trip involved at all.

Q05 Why does my word count differ slightly from my university's checker?

Small differences (typically under 1%) can occur because different tools handle hyphenated words, numbers, citations, and special characters slightly differently. If your submission system has a strict word count enforcement, always do a final check directly in that system (e.g., Turnitin's word count display) rather than relying solely on a third-party tool.

Q06 What counts as a "sentence" or "paragraph" for the stats?

Sentences are detected by splitting text on sentence-ending punctuation (periods, exclamation marks, question marks). Paragraphs are detected by line breaks that separate blocks of text. Because this is a simple heuristic, abbreviations (like "Dr." or "e.g.") can occasionally be miscounted as sentence breaks — for highly precise sentence counts in technical writing, treat the number as a close estimate.

Q07 Can I count words in a file instead of pasting text?

Yes — use the "Upload" button to load a plain text (.txt) or markdown (.md) file directly into the counter. For Word documents (.docx) or PDFs, open the file first and copy the text into the box, since those formats include formatting data the tool doesn't parse directly.

Q08 My essay is way over the word limit — what should I do?

Start by removing redundant phrasing and overly long quotations, then check if any sections drift from your core argument and could be cut entirely. If you're significantly over and struggling to trim without losing key points, our PhD-qualified editors can review your essay and tighten it to fit your word count while preserving your argument's strength — click "Get Expert Help" to find out more.

Need help trimming or expanding your essay?

Get expert help hitting your word count

Our 500+ PhD-qualified writers can edit your draft to fit your exact word count requirement — tightening arguments, expanding evidence, or restructuring for clarity, without losing your voice.

Get Expert Help Now Check Plagiarism Too

Free Word Counter& Readability Checker

More than just a number

Truly Real-Time

Built-In Readability Score

Word Count Target Tracking

Keyword Density Insight

100% Private

Speaking Time Too

From blank box to full breakdown

Paste or Type

Set Your Target

Check Readability

Refine & Submit

How long should your document be?

Hit your word count without padding

Trusted by 5000+ students

Your questions, answered

Get expert help hitting your word count

Free Word Counter
& Readability Checker