How to count words
- Type or paste your text into the box. Counts update as you type.
- Read the totals on the right: words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time.
- Check Top words to spot words you repeat too often.
Word count guidelines
| Type of writing | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Tweet or X post | 280 characters |
| Meta description | 150 to 160 characters |
| Short email | 50 to 125 words |
| News article | 500 to 800 words |
| Blog post | 1,000 to 2,000 words |
| College application essay | 250 to 650 words |
| Short story | 1,000 to 7,500 words |
These are common ranges, not rules. When a teacher, publisher or form sets a limit, that limit is what counts.
Why the top words list helps
Repeating the same word three times in a paragraph is easy to miss when you’re writing and obvious when someone else reads it. The top words list shows the words you use more than once, leaving out small words like “the” and “and”. Tick the option above to include them.