The HN Solutions Word Counter instantly counts the words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time of your text as you type. It is ideal for essays, articles, meta descriptions, social posts, and any content with a length limit.
Why our word counter is better
- Real-time counts update as you type — there is no button to press.
- Everything in one place — words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
- Private — your text stays in your browser and is never uploaded.
- Free, unlimited, and works on any device.
How to use the word counter
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Watch the word, character and sentence counts update live.
- Use Copy or Clear when you are done.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count words online?
Paste your text into the counter and the word count updates instantly, along with characters, sentences and reading time.
Does it count characters with and without spaces?
Yes. It shows total characters and characters excluding spaces, which is useful for meta descriptions and character limits.
Is my text saved?
No. All counting happens in your browser, so your writing stays private.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time is estimated at an average reading speed of 200 words per minute.
Is the word counter free?
Yes, it is free with no sign-up and no limits.
Discover more tools in our free tools hub.
How long should a blog post be?
There is no ranking bonus for length. What correlates with ranking is completeness — and complete answers to complicated questions happen to be longer.
Useful ranges in practice: a focused how-to lands around 800–1,200 words. A guide meant to be the definitive answer runs 1,500–2,500. A comparison needs enough room for each option, usually 1,200–2,000. A news update can be 300 and still be the best result available.
The test is not the count. It is whether a reader finishes with an unanswered question they came with.
Word count limits worth knowing
- SEO title — about 60 characters before truncation
- Meta description — about 155 characters
- Tweet/X post — 280 characters
- LinkedIn post — 3,000 characters, though it collapses after roughly 200
- Email subject line — around 40 characters on mobile
- UCAS personal statement — 4,000 characters
Note how many of those are characters, not words. That is why this tool counts both.
Reading time, and why estimates differ
The usual assumption is 200–250 words per minute for adults reading on screen. Technical material runs slower; light narrative runs faster. So a 1,000-word article is “4–5 minutes” depending on whose formula you use — which is why two sites can show different times for the same piece.
Treat it as a signal to the reader about commitment, not a measurement.
Counting words while you write is a trap
Watching the number climb encourages padding, and padding is exactly what makes writing worse: restating the point, adding transitional sentences that carry no information, explaining what you are about to explain.
Write the piece, then count. If it is short, ask what question you have not answered rather than how to say the same thing at greater length. If it is long, the summariser is a quick way to see whether your own structure is burying the point.
Everything here stays on your device
Counting happens in your browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded, which means you can paste a client draft, an unpublished article or anything else sensitive without it leaving your machine. The case converter and slug generator work the same way.