Word Count Checker
Check your word count, instantly.
Paste an essay, blog post, or article and see exactly how many words you've written — against the targets that matter.
Status: Live Analysis Active
Private — your text stays on your device, never sent to a server. Auto-clears after 5 min idle and when you close the tab.
Keyword Density
Top keywords will appear here as you type.
Words
0
Real-time tracking enabled
Characters
0
Sentences
0
Paragraphs
0
Reading Time
0s
Common word-count targets
Most writing has an expected length. Use the checker above and compare against the targets below — overshooting or coming up short is usually a structural signal, not a polish one.
| Format | Target |
|---|---|
| Tweet / X post | 280 characters (~50 words) |
| SEO meta description | 150–160 characters (~25 words) |
| LinkedIn post | 1,300 characters (~200 words) |
| Short blog post | 500–800 words |
| Standard blog / article | 1,500–2,500 words |
| College essay | 500 / 1,000 / 2,500 words (assignment-dependent) |
| Common app essay | 650 words (hard cap) |
| Cover letter | 250–400 words |
| TED-style talk | ~1,800 words (≈15 min) |
| Novel | 50,000+ words |
Want to see how long the piece will take to read aloud, or how many pages it fills? Try the Words to Minutes and Words Per Page calculators. For character-limited fields (tweets, meta tags, SMS), switch to the Character Counter.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the word count checker count a word?
- It splits your text on whitespace and counts the resulting tokens — the same rule Microsoft Word and Google Docs use. Hyphenated terms like 'state-of-the-art' and contractions like 'don't' each count as one word.
- Does the count match Microsoft Word and Google Docs?
- Yes, within one or two words on most documents. Tiny differences come from how each editor treats numbers, URLs, and standalone punctuation. For long pieces the totals are functionally identical.
- Is there a length limit on what I can check?
- No. Counting runs in your browser, so you can paste a tweet or a 200,000-word manuscript. Nothing is uploaded.
- Will my draft be saved or shared?
- Your text never leaves your device. A copy is held in your browser's session storage so a refresh doesn't lose it, and it's wiped automatically after five idle minutes or when you close the tab.