How words and characters are counted
- Words: any run of letters or numbers separated by spaces or punctuation. “Don't” and “e-mail” count as one word each.
- Characters: every letter, digit, space and symbol, counted the way people see them. An emoji or a Hindi conjunct such as “क्ष” counts as one character, not several.
- Sentences: text ending in . ! or ?, ignoring common abbreviations such as Mr., Dr., e.g. and Rs.
- Reading time: 238 words a minute, the average silent reading speed for adults. Speaking time: 140 words a minute, a comfortable presentation pace.
Common length limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post | 280 characters |
| SEO page title | about 60 characters |
| Meta description | about 155–160 characters |
| SMS (English) | 160 characters per message (70 with Hindi or emoji) |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| College essays (Common App) | 650 words |
Your text stays on your device. It is counted in your browser and never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
About 700 words at a natural speaking pace of 140 words a minute. Slower, more formal speeches run nearer 120 words a minute (600 words).
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced, in a 12-point font on A4 or Letter paper.
Does the word counter count Hindi and other languages?
Yes. Words are counted for any language that separates words with spaces, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and Bengali, and characters are counted as they appear on screen.