Word Counter & Character Counter for Students

Paste your essay below to instantly check word count, character count, sentence count, reading time, and page length. Free online tool for students.

WORDS
0
CHARACTERS (WITH SPACES)
0
READING TIME
0
SENTENCES
0
PAGES
0
Draft saved locally

Top Keywords

Keywords appear automatically as you type.

Word Count %

How to Use This Word Counter

1

Paste or Type Your Text

Copy your essay or text and paste it into the text box above, or start typing directly.

2

View Instant Statistics

Watch as the word count, character count, sentences, reading time, and page count update automatically as you type.

3

Check Top Keywords

Review the most frequently used words in your essay to ensure you're not overusing certain terms.

4

Select Essay Type (Optional)

Choose your essay type from the dropdown menu to get helpful tips specific to that writing style.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many words should a college essay be?

Most college essays are between 500 and 800 words unless your teacher specifies a different limit. Always check your assignment guidelines for specific requirements, as some essays may require 1,000 words or more.

Does word count affect marks?

Yes. Essays that are too short or too long can lose marks, so staying close to the recommended word limit is important. Most teachers allow a 10% variance (plus or minus), but exceeding this can result in penalties.

Is this essay word counter free?

Yes, this essay word counter is completely free for students to use online. There are no hidden fees, subscriptions, or registration requirements.

How accurate is the word count?

Our word counter is highly accurate and counts words the same way most word processors do. It separates words by spaces and punctuation, giving you a reliable count for academic submissions.

Does this tool save my essay?

Yes, your text is automatically saved locally in your browser, so you won't lose your work if you accidentally close the tab. However, it's always recommended to save important work in a separate document as well.

How is reading time calculated?

Reading time is calculated based on an average reading speed of 200-250 words per minute for typical adult readers. This gives you an estimate of how long it would take someone to read your essay.

What is the difference between characters with spaces and without spaces?

Characters with spaces includes all letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces. Characters without spaces excludes the spaces between words. Some assignments specify character limits, so having both counts is helpful.

Why Use Our Word Counter Tool?

Our free word counter is designed specifically for students writing essays, research papers, and academic assignments. Unlike basic word counting tools, we provide comprehensive text analysis including character count, sentence count, reading time estimation, and keyword frequency analysis.

Features That Help Students

Common Essay Word Count Requirements

Different academic levels and essay types have varying word count expectations:

Tips for Meeting Word Count Requirements

Struggling to meet your word count? Here are some strategies: expand on your examples with specific details, add relevant quotes from sources, include counterarguments and rebuttals, provide more context for your main points, and ensure each paragraph has thorough analysis. If you're over the limit, focus on removing redundancies, combining similar points, and eliminating filler words.

Understanding Character Counts

Some assignments specify character limits instead of word counts, especially for online forms, social media posts, or abstracts. Our tool shows both characters with spaces (used by most word processors) and without spaces (used by some academic systems and platforms). Twitter/X posts, for example, have a 280 character limit, while Instagram captions allow up to 2,200 characters.

Privacy and Data Security

Your privacy matters. This word counter processes all text locally in your browser - we don't upload or store your essays on any server. The auto-save feature saves your work only to your browser's local storage, giving you peace of mind while you write.