Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs instantly. Get reading time, speaking time, and page estimates for your text, manuscript, or document.
~275 words per page
Words
Characters
Reading Time
Pages (5.5")
Everything you need to know about word counting, character limits, and text statistics
Paste your text into the text box or type directly. Our tool instantly counts words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in real-time as you type. You can also enter a word count manually if you already know it.
Characters with spaces includes all characters including spaces between words. Characters without spaces counts only letters, numbers, and punctuation, excluding spaces. Social media platforms like Twitter count characters with spaces for their limits.
For SEO, most experts recommend blog posts between 1,500-2,500 words for comprehensive topics. However, the ideal length depends on your topic and audience. Longer posts (2,000+ words) tend to rank better for competitive keywords, while some topics only need 800-1,200 words.
The average novel is 70,000-90,000 words. Genre affects this significantly: romance novels average 70,000-100,000 words, thrillers 70,000-90,000, mystery 60,000-80,000, and epic fantasy can exceed 120,000 words. Young adult novels typically run 55,000-80,000 words.
A 5-minute speech is approximately 750 words at an average speaking pace of 150 words per minute. For a more relaxed pace, aim for 625-700 words. For a faster, energetic delivery, you might fit 800-875 words.
Twitter/X has a 280-character limit for standard posts. This includes spaces, punctuation, and emojis (which can count as 2 characters). Twitter Blue/Premium subscribers can post up to 25,000 characters.
A standard book page contains 250-300 words, depending on trim size and formatting. A 6"x9" book averages 250-300 words per page, a 5.5"x8.5" book averages 250-275 words, while a 5"x8" book averages 200-250 words per page.
Flash fiction is under 1,000 words. Short stories are typically 1,000-7,500 words. Novelettes run 7,500-17,500 words. Novellas range from 17,500 to 40,000 words. Novels are 40,000+ words, with most commercial novels falling between 70,000-100,000 words.
In Microsoft Word, go to Review > Word Count or press Ctrl+Shift+G (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+G (Mac). In Google Docs, go to Tools > Word Count or press Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+C (Mac). Our online tool works across all platforms without any software installation.
Our tool counts all text you paste, including headings and titles. For academic papers, check your specific guidelines - some institutions exclude titles, headers, bibliographies, and footnotes from the official word count. Our tool gives you the total count; you can subtract excluded elements manually.
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Explore our editing servicesQuick reference for social media and publishing character limits
| Platform | Limit | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Twitter/X Post | 280 | Characters |
| Twitter/X Bio | 160 | Characters |
| Instagram Caption | 2,200 | Characters |
| Instagram Bio | 150 | Characters |
| LinkedIn Post | 3,000 | Characters |
| Facebook Post | 63,206 | Characters |
| Amazon Book Description | 4,000 | Characters |
| Meta Description (SEO) | 155-160 | Characters |
| College Essay (Common App) | 650 | Words |
Industry-standard word count ranges for different book genres
| Genre | Word Count Range | Approx. Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Fiction | Under 1,000 words | 1-4 |
| Short Story | 1,000-7,500 words | 4-30 |
| Novelette | 7,500-17,500 words | 30-70 |
| Novella | 17,500-40,000 words | 70-160 |
| Novel | 40,000-100,000 words | 160-400 |
| Epic Novel | 100,000+ words | 400+ |
| Romance | 70,000-100,000 words | 280-400 |
| Thriller/Mystery | 70,000-90,000 words | 280-360 |
| Fantasy/Sci-Fi | 90,000-120,000 words | 360-480 |
| Memoir | 60,000-90,000 words | 240-360 |
| Children's Picture Book | 500-1,000 words | 24-48 |
| Middle Grade | 25,000-40,000 words | 100-160 |
| Young Adult | 55,000-80,000 words | 220-320 |
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