Free Word Counter — Count Words, Characters & Reading Time
Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimate reading/speaking times instantly. Check keyword density and vocabulary uniqueness for free.
Enter some text to calculate lexical diversity.
Add more descriptive words to see density.
Common stopwords (the, and, etc.) are excluded.
From the Conch team
Your word count is just the beginning
Most word counters tell you one number and stop. This one goes further. Reading time tells you whether your essay respects a professor's attention span. Speaking time helps you prep presentations without running over. Unique word ratio is the metric that separates a strong vocabulary from a repetitive one — a 60% unique word ratio means 4 out of 10 words in your draft are repeats. Keyword density shows which words are dominating your prose, which is useful for spotting when you have accidentally made your argument circular by repeating the same concept in different clothing. If you are writing for SEO as well as academics, keyword density also tells you whether your target phrase is appearing enough — or too much. All of this, calculated locally, instantly, for free.
Conch Tip: For a standard 5-paragraph essay, aim for 700–900 words. For a research paper, 1,200–2,500 words depending on the assignment. Use reading time to double-check pacing — a 5-minute read is about 1,200 words.
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How to use this word counter — count words, characters & reading time
- 1
Paste your writing draft
Copy your text or document and paste it directly into the input area on the page.
- 2
View live stats updates
Look at the right-side dashboard. All statistics like word count, character count, reading time, and density update instantly as you type or edit.
- 3
Analyze keyword density
Look at the keyword density widget to find which words you are overusing and replace them with synonyms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the word counter count words and characters?
The word counter splits your text by spaces and punctuation to find word units. Characters are counted with and without spaces. All math runs locally on your computer for speed and privacy.
How is reading and speaking time calculated?
We use standard academic speech and reading benchmarks: reading time is calculated at 238 words per minute (WPM), and speaking time is calculated at 125 words per minute.
What is the unique words ratio?
It measures lexical diversity by dividing the number of unique words by the total word count. A higher ratio indicates a richer, more diverse vocabulary, while a low ratio indicates repetitive word choice.
Does my text get saved or sent to any servers?
No. The Word Counter Pro tool operates completely client-side. Your text never leaves your browser, ensuring total privacy and security.
What is keyword density and why does it matter?
Keyword density is the percentage of times a specific word appears relative to the total word count. For academic writing, high keyword density for the same word often signals a circular argument — you are repeating a concept without developing it. For SEO content writing, keyword density between 1–2% for your primary phrase is ideal.
How is paragraph count calculated?
Paragraphs are counted by splitting the text at double line-breaks (blank lines). Each block of consecutive text separated by an empty line is treated as one paragraph.
What is a good unique words ratio for an essay?
A unique words ratio above 65% is considered strong for academic writing — it suggests you are using a varied vocabulary rather than repeating the same terms. A ratio below 50% often signals over-reliance on a small set of words, which can make writing feel flat or repetitive.
Can I use this for checking SEO content word counts?
Yes. Content writers and SEO professionals use this tool to verify that articles meet target word counts (e.g., 1,500–2,500 words for a competitive blog post), check keyword density, and measure reading time to estimate content depth for search engine ranking purposes.
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