Word Counter, Character Counter & Reading Time
Instant word count, character count, estimated reading time, and a Flesch reading-ease score as you type or paste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Word Counter, Character Counter & Reading Time really free?
Yes — unlimited use, no signup, no credit card. We built these tools to help you audit sites without paying for a data subscription.
Does this tool store or share the URLs I check?
No. Each check runs live and we don't save your input. We keep a short-lived rate-limit counter (by IP) purely to prevent abuse; it is not linked to your results.
How accurate are the results?
This tool reads live, public data directly from the page or domain you enter — it does not rely on a paid third-party database, so it reflects exactly what is publicly visible right now.
A fast, private word and character counter with a readability score — useful for hitting content-length targets, staying within character limits (title tags, meta descriptions, ad copy, social posts), and gauging how easy your writing is to read. Everything runs in your browser as you type; nothing is uploaded or stored.
How to Use This Tool
Type or paste your text into the box. Word count, character count, sentence count, estimated reading time, and a readability score all update instantly.
What This Tool Checks
Total words, total characters, sentence count, estimated reading time (at an average adult reading pace), and a Flesch reading-ease score that estimates how easy the text is to read.
Understanding Your Results
The Flesch reading-ease score runs from 0 to 100 — higher means easier to read. Scores around 60–70 are considered plainly readable for a general audience; much lower scores suggest long sentences and complex words that may lose casual readers. Reading time is a rough estimate to help you gauge content length from a reader's perspective.
How to Fix Common Problems
To improve a low (hard) readability score, shorten long sentences, break up dense paragraphs, and swap complex words for simpler ones where it doesn't change your meaning. To meet a length target, expand with genuinely useful detail rather than padding.
SEO Best Practices
Match content length to search intent and the depth the topic genuinely requires — there's no universal ideal word count, despite common claims. Aim for readability appropriate to your audience; even technical content benefits from clear, well-structured sentences.
Example
Pasting a draft blog post shows 1,240 words, a ~6-minute read, and a readability score of 45 (fairly difficult) — a prompt to break up some long sentences before publishing for a general audience.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don't chase a specific word count as a ranking tactic — length correlates with depth, but padding to hit a number produces thin, bloated content. Don't optimize readability so aggressively that the writing becomes choppy or condescending.
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