What counts as a word
This tool splits the text on runs of whitespace — spaces, tabs, newlines — and counts the non-empty pieces, which is how word processors and most editors count. A few cases are worth knowing:
- Hyphenated compounds like
well-knownorstate-of-the-artare one word each, because there is no space inside them. - Contractions like
don'tandit'sare one word. - An em dash with spaces around it — like this — does not join the words on either side; a dash with no spaces (
either--or) counts as one token. - Numbers and symbols separated by spaces (
$ 5) count as two;$5counts as one.
Why characters with and without spaces both matter
| Where | Limit | Counts spaces? |
|---|---|---|
| X / Twitter post | 280 | Yes |
| SMS segment | 160 (GSM-7) | Yes |
| Meta description (before truncation) | ~155–160 | Yes |
| Title tag (before truncation) | ~60 | Yes |
| Some manuscript / style guides | varies | Sometimes counts without spaces |
Most digital limits count every space and newline, so use the characters figure there. A handful of print and academic guidelines specify a no-spaces count — the tool shows both so you never have to guess which one applies.
The reading-speed assumptions
Reading time is words / 200 minutes. 200 words per minute is a middle-of-the-road estimate for adult silent reading of general prose; studies put the range roughly 175–300 depending on material and reader. Speaking time is words / 130 minutes, a relaxed pace for presentations, voiceover and narration — conversational speech runs faster, closer to 150–160. Treat both as ballpark figures: dense, technical, or number-heavy text is slower, and a rehearsed speaker can beat the estimate.
Keyword density, briefly
The panel counts each word, drops common stopwords (the, and, of, to, and similar), and shows the five most frequent with their share of the total word count. For content aimed at a search query, a primary term sitting around 1–2% usually reads naturally. If a keyword is far above that, the copy tends to sound repetitive and can look like stuffing to both readers and search engines.
Questions
Does it count hyphenated words as one or two?
One. There is no space inside well-known, so it is a single token — same as a word processor.
Which character number do I use for a tweet?
The characters count (with spaces). X counts every space and newline toward the 280 limit.
Why does the reading time differ from other tools?
Different tools assume different words-per-minute rates. This one uses 200 for reading and 130 for speaking; a tool using 250 will show a shorter time for the same text.
Can I set a word goal?
Yes. Enter a number in the Target length box and pick words or characters; the bar fills as you type and turns red once you pass the goal.
Is my text private?
Yes. Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.