Word Counter

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a word in this counter?

Any run of non-whitespace characters separated by spaces, tabs, or line breaks is counted as one word. Hyphenated terms like "state-of-the-art" count as a single word, while em-dash separated phrases count as multiple.

How is reading time calculated?

Reading time uses an average silent reading pace of around 200-250 words per minute, which is typical for adult readers of general-audience prose. Technical or dense material will realistically take longer.

Why does my word count differ from Microsoft Word or Google Docs?

Different tools handle hyphens, numbers, contractions, and ellipses inconsistently. Small variances of a few words on long documents are normal and rarely affect submissions with word limits.