Free Word Counter: Count Words, Characters, Sentences & Reading Time
Word count requirements matter everywhere: academic essays, LinkedIn posts, Twitter/X limits, SEO content guidelines, and freelance project specifications. Formly's word counter gives you instant counts plus reading time estimation and keyword density analysis — all in real time as you type.
Try Word Counter Free →What the Word Counter Tracks
Words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, estimated reading time (based on 200 words/min average), unique word count, and most frequent words/keyword density.
Word Count Requirements by Platform
Twitter/X: 280 characters. LinkedIn post: 3,000 characters (about 500 words). LinkedIn article: 125,000 characters. Instagram caption: 2,200 characters. Blog post (SEO): 1,500–2,500 words for informational content. Academic essay: varies (500 words for short essays to 10,000+ for dissertations). The counter helps you hit exact targets.
Character Count for Social Media
Character limits are strict on social platforms. The counter shows both character count with and without spaces, which matters for platforms that count differently. For Twitter/X, note that URLs always count as 23 characters regardless of length.
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Word Counter for SEO Content
SEO content writers use word counters to hit target word counts for specific queries. Longer content tends to rank better for informational queries, but quality matters more than length. The keyword density feature helps avoid over-optimization (keyword stuffing) — best practice is 1–2% density for target keywords.
Reading Time Estimation
Displaying reading time on blog posts (e.g., "5 min read") improves click-through rates and sets reader expectations. The counter calculates reading time based on the average adult reading speed of 200–250 words per minute for web content.
Academic Writing Applications
Students frequently need to hit exact word counts for assignments. The counter helps you see at a glance whether you're meeting the requirement. Unlike Microsoft Word, which counts all text including headings and citations, you can exclude specific sections by pasting only the relevant content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the word counter work in real time?⌄
Yes. Counts update instantly as you type or paste text.
Is there a character limit?⌄
No. The counter handles texts of any length.
Does it count words in other languages?⌄
It correctly counts words in most Latin-script languages. For CJK languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean), character count is more meaningful than word count.
Can I use it for Twitter/X character counting?⌄
Yes. The character counter (with spaces) matches how Twitter/X counts characters.
Is it free?⌄
Yes. The word counter is completely free with no limits.
Try Word Counter — It's Free
No signup needed. 5 free uses daily. Pro plan from $9.99/month.
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