{
  "id": "word-counter",
  "version": "d881f82243a8",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Word Counter",
  "question": "What is my word count?",
  "summary": "A word count calculator: paste a text to count its words, characters with and without spaces, sentences and paragraphs, and see how long it takes to read or say.",
  "category": "everyday-life",
  "subcategory": "fun",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/word-counter",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/word-counter.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Words are runs of letters or digits (an apostrophe or hyphen inside one keeps it whole); reading time = words ÷ 238 a minute; speaking time = words ÷ 183 a minute.",
  "assumptions": [
    "Numbers count as words; punctuation and symbols on their own do not. Line breaks are not characters.",
    "A sentence ends at . ! or ?, so an abbreviation such as “e.g.” or a decimal point also ends one.",
    "Reading and speaking times use average adult rates for English non-fiction."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "t": {
        "title": "Your text",
        "description": "Paste or type the text to count.",
        "type": "string",
        "maxLength": 20000
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "words": {
      "label": "Words",
      "description": "Runs of letters or digits.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "characters": {
      "label": "Characters",
      "description": "Every character, spaces included; line breaks are not counted, as in word processors.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "noSpaces": {
      "label": "Characters without spaces",
      "description": "Every character except spaces, tabs and line breaks.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "sentences": {
      "label": "Sentences",
      "description": "Pieces of text that end at . ! or ? and hold a word.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "paragraphs": {
      "label": "Paragraphs",
      "description": "Lines that hold at least one word.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "reading": {
      "label": "Reading time",
      "description": "Words ÷ 238 words a minute, silent reading.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "speaking": {
      "label": "Speaking time",
      "description": "Words ÷ 183 words a minute, reading aloud.",
      "format": "text"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "t": "Paste your text here to count its words. The counter also finds the characters, sentences and paragraphs, and how long the text takes to read. A new line starts a new paragraph. Numbers such as 2026 count as words, and so do well-known words joined by a hyphen."
    },
    "outputs": {
      "words": 48,
      "characters": 261,
      "noSpaces": 214,
      "sentences": 4,
      "paragraphs": 1,
      "reading": "12 s",
      "speaking": "16 s"
    },
    "text": "Word count: 48; characters: 261; reading time: about 12 s."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "t": "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
      },
      "expect": {
        "words": 9,
        "characters": 44,
        "noSpaces": 36,
        "sentences": 1,
        "paragraphs": 1,
        "reading": "2 s",
        "speaking": "3 s"
      },
      "source": "Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047 (silent reading of English non-fiction 238 words a minute; reading aloud 183), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.104047 (retrieved 2026-10-03); hand calculation in content.mdx: 9 words; 44 characters, 8 of them spaces; 9 × 60 ÷ 238 = 2.27 s; 9 × 60 ÷ 183 = 2.95 s"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "t": "It’s well-known. Is it? Yes!\nA second line, with 2026 in it."
      },
      "expect": {
        "words": 12,
        "sentences": 4,
        "paragraphs": 2,
        "characters": 59,
        "noSpaces": 49
      },
      "source": "hand calculation in content.mdx: words It’s, well-known, Is, it, Yes, A, second, line, with, 2026, in, it"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many words do we read per minute? A review and meta-analysis of reading rate. Journal of Memory and Language, 109, 104047 (silent reading of English non-fiction 238 words a minute; fiction 260; reading aloud 183). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2019.104047 (retrieved 2026-10-03)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "characters-to-words",
    "reading-time",
    "speaking-time"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}