How this counter counts
Words are separated by spaces, line breaks and tabs. A hyphenated word like "well-known" counts as one word, and numbers count as words — the same convention used by most editors and word processors. Sentences end with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Reading time assumes about 200 words per minute (average adult silent reading) and speaking time about 130 words per minute (a natural presentation pace).
Typical lengths worth knowing
| Thing | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Cover letter | 250–400 words |
| College essay (common prompts) | 500–650 words |
| Blog article | 1,000–2,500 words |
| 10-minute speech | ~1,300 words |
| Novella / short novel | 20,000–50,000 words |
Your text stays yours
Everything is counted by code running in your own browser. Nothing you type or paste here is uploaded, stored or read by us — close the tab and it is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Does the word counter save my text?
No. The counting happens entirely in your browser; ToolFigure's servers never receive your text.
Why does my word count differ from Microsoft Word?
Small differences come from edge cases: hyphenated words, numbers, and text inside tables or text boxes. For normal paragraphs the counts match.
What reading speed does the reading-time estimate use?
200 words per minute, the middle of the typical adult range (180–250). Fast readers will finish sooner.
Can I count words in a document file?
Copy and paste the text into the box above — pasting works from Word, Google Docs, PDFs and web pages.