How to Count Words and Characters (and Why It Matters)

You wrote the perfect paragraph. Then the form says 'maximum 250 words' and you have no idea whether you are at 240 or 340. Counting by hand is slow and unreliable — a word counter answers in a second.

Count words in 3 steps

• Open the Word Counter and paste your text into it.
• Read the word count, character count (with and without spaces), and sentence count.
• Edit until you hit your target — the counts update as you type.

Common limits you will meet

• Social posts: short, strict character limits where every letter matters.
• Essays and assignments: word counts with penalties for going over.
• Resumes and cover letters: one page reads best around 400–600 words.
• SEO titles and descriptions: search results cut off long titles, so concise wins.

Beyond the count: readability

A count tells you the length, not the quality. After hitting your target, read the text once out loud. Long sentences that leave you breathless are usually the ones to cut — and cutting them often fixes both the count and the clarity.

Word limits stop feeling stressful once checking takes one paste. Count first, then write to the number.