How to check your word count

Use the Word Counter tool. Your text is counted in your browser and is never uploaded.

Steps

1. Paste or type your text into the counter.
2. Read the word and character counts as they update.
3. If you have a limit to hit — an essay, application, or post — trim or expand the text and watch the count change.

When this helps

Checking a draft against a word limit before you submit it, or counting words in text copied from anywhere, including a document editor, without installing anything.

Limits

This tool counts the text you give it. It is not connected to Google Docs or any other editor, so it cannot open your documents for you — copy the text in first. Different editors count hyphenated words and numbers slightly differently, so if a limit is strict, check the count in the editor you will submit from as well.