Word Counter

Any run of characters separated by spaces or line breaks counts as one word. A hyphenated word like "well-known" counts once, which matches how word processors count.

For ordinary prose, yes. Small differences appear around unusual punctuation, numbers with spaces, and text in tables or footnotes, since every program draws those boundaries slightly differently.

At 238 words per minute for silent reading and 150 for reading aloud — the averages used in readability research. Dense or technical writing takes longer, so treat it as a guide.

No. It stays in your browser tab, is never transmitted, and disappears when you close the page. Safe for drafts you have not published.

Nothing enforced. Very long documents — hundreds of pages — may lag slightly while recounting on each keystroke.