Free online writing tool
Word counter
Paste a draft to count words, characters, sentences and paragraphs. Set a length target or select a passage to check just that part. Your writing stays in this tab.
Live as you type
How to use it
Count words in your draft, then check the part that matters.
Type or paste an essay, application, email or proposal above. The word and character counts update as you edit. Select a sentence or paragraph to see its own count while keeping the full draft in place.
Working to a length limit?
- Enter the word or character limit from your assignment or form.
- Read the exact amount left or over. For example, 527 words against a 500-word limit means 27 words over.
- Select a passage to check its contribution. The longest-sentence button takes you to one place worth reviewing; it does not decide whether that sentence is good or bad.
Counting rules
What counts as a word or character?
Words are the browser’s language-aware word segments containing a letter or number. Numbers count; punctuation and standalone emoji do not. Characters are visible grapheme clusters, including spaces and line breaks. A joined family emoji or a letter with a combining accent counts as one character.
Characters without spaces removes Unicode whitespace. Use the main character count unless your instructions specifically exclude spaces.
Check a small example
“A clear quote saves time.” has five words, 25 characters with spaces and 21 without. It is one sentence, one paragraph and one line. Paste it above to check the result.
A blank line starts a new paragraph; a single line break does not. A final line break adds a blank physical line. The read and speak times are estimates at 200 and 130 words per minute, not a personal speed measurement.
Before you submit
Why can Word or Google Docs show another count?
Editors may split hyphenated phrases, apostrophes, numbers or writing systems without spaces differently. This tool uses your browser’s language-aware segmentation where available. If an institution or publishing system enforces the limit, check your final text there too.
Use patterns as prompts, not grades
The sentence-length view and repeated longer words point to places you may want to reread. They do not measure grammar, writing quality or search ranking. Useful repetition can make a message clearer, and a long sentence can be easy to understand.
Common questions
Answers for your next draft.
Does the character counter include spaces?
Yes. The large character count includes whitespace. “Without spaces” removes Unicode whitespace, including line breaks. Follow the requirement of the place where you will submit the text.
Can I count or copy only selected text?
Yes. Select text in the editor to see that passage’s words and characters. The Copy button then copies the selection; without a selection it copies the whole draft.
Can I check a 500-word essay or a character-limited field?
Yes. Enter 500 with Words selected, or choose Characters and enter the field’s actual limit. The progress display shows the amount remaining or over. Preset buttons are optional starting points, not claims about any platform’s current limits.
Does BiznTools save or upload my writing?
No. This workspace keeps text and derived counts in this browser tab, has no BiznTools analytics, and does not send the draft to our server. Refreshing or closing the tab clears it. Installed browser extensions and assistive software can have their own access to page text.
Private by design
Your draft stays in this tab.
Text, selections, repeated terms and the length target are not put into URLs, requests or storage by BiznTools. There is no account or automatic saving. Copy writes to your clipboard only when you click; Clear removes the draft from this page. Browser spellcheck is off in the editor.
Input limit
The editor accepts up to 100,000 UTF-16 code units. That technical limit differs from the visible character count. An oversized paste is rejected without replacing your existing draft. If your browser lacks precise segmentation, a notice explains that its basic fallback may count some scripts or joined emoji differently.