Word Counter — Words, Characters & Reading Time
Paste or type your text below and see the counts update live: words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, plus estimated reading and speaking time. Perfect for essays, assignments and personal statements with word limits.
0 words · 0 characters
Last updated: August 2026
How are words and reading time counted?
Words are counted the same way exam boards and word processors count them: any group of letters or numbers separated by spaces is one word.
- Reading time uses 200 words per minute — the average silent reading speed.
- Speaking time uses 130 words per minute — a comfortable presentation pace.
- Sentences are split on full stops, question marks and exclamation marks (Urdu ۔ and Hindi । full stops work too).
Tip: for essays with a strict limit (like a 250-word IELTS task or 650-word personal statement), stay 5% under the limit — examiners notice padding more than brevity.
Common word limits students face
| Task | Typical limit |
|---|---|
| IELTS Writing Task 1 | 150 words minimum |
| IELTS Writing Task 2 | 250 words minimum |
| Common App personal statement | 650 words |
| UCAS personal statement | 4000 characters |
| Scholarship essays | 500-1000 words (check each one) |
| Board exam essay | 200-400 words |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this counter store my text anywhere?
No. Everything is counted inside your browser - your text never leaves your device and disappears when you close the page.
How do word processors count words differently?
Almost all tools count space-separated groups as words, so counts match Word and Google Docs closely. Hyphenated words count as one word.
Does it work for Urdu, Hindi and Bangla text?
Yes - words are split on spaces, and sentence counting understands the Urdu (\u06d4) and Hindi (\u0964) full stops too.
What counts as a character?
Every letter, number, space and punctuation mark. The counter shows both totals - with spaces and without - because different forms ask for different ones.