Free Word Counter Tool
Paste a draft to see live counts for words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time, speaking time, average word length, and frequent words. You can set an optional word target if you have one.
This is a writing aid, not a Google score and not an AdSense approval test. Google does not publish a required word count for search rankings or for AdSense approval.
If the Paste text button is blocked on your phone, tap inside the box and paste from the keyboard instead.
Longest sentence: 0 words
A longer sentence can be harder to scan. This is a readability hint, not a search rule.
Frequent words
Density is the share of all words in the draft. There is no official ideal percentage.
| Word | Count | Density |
|---|---|---|
| Type or paste text to see frequent words. | ||
What the tool counts
This page is a drafting aid for text you already have. Type or paste a post, a page, a script, or a set of notes, and the totals update as you edit. The tool counts words, characters with spaces, characters without spaces, sentences, and paragraphs. It also estimates reading time and speaking time, shows the average word length, lists frequent words with a density figure, and can flag a long sentence as a readability hint.
None of these figures is a Google score. The page does not fetch a live URL, it does not grade your writing, and it does not decide whether a site will be approved for ads. A word count is one way to notice whether a draft is thin, padded, or about the length you intended. The useful question is still whether a reader can leave with a clear answer.
You can set an optional word target if you already have a range in mind, such as a brief definition or a longer guide. The progress bar tracks that target only. It is not an official requirement, and crossing the bar does not mean the draft is finished or that a page will rank.
Everything runs in your browser. The text is not uploaded and is not sent over the network. A draft is stored on this device only if you turn on the optional setting in the form. If you leave that box unchecked, the page does not use local storage.
How to use it
Start by pasting the text you want to measure. On a phone, the Paste text button may be blocked by the browser. If that happens, tap inside the box and paste from the keyboard in the usual way. You can also type directly. The totals at the bottom of the form update as you go, so you do not need a separate Calculate step.
If you want a simple demonstration of the layout, choose Load sample. The sample is a short original draft used to show how the numbers appear. It is not a recommended length and not a score. Clear removes the text and the target field so you can start again.
The optional word target is there for people who already chose a range before writing. Enter a number only if that helps you plan, and remember that a range is often more useful than a single figure. The bar fills as the word count moves toward the number you entered. If you go past it, the label will say so, but that is still your own goal, not a pass mark.
Use Copy stats when you want a plain text record of the totals, the time estimates, and the keyword list. That record is for your notes. It is not a report you submit to Google.
If you want the draft to still be there after you close the tab, turn on Save a draft in this browser only. The label is intentional. The saved text stays on this device and is not uploaded. Turn the setting off to delete that saved draft. If a browser blocks local storage, the tool will say so and will leave the setting off.
When you review a draft, look at more than the main word total. Check the longest sentence, the paragraph count, and whether the frequent-word list still reflects the topic. Then edit the writing, not the number alone.
What counts as a word
Different programs do not always agree on a word total, so it helps to know the rules this page uses. A word is a token separated by whitespace after leading and trailing punctuation is removed. Hello world is two words. A hyphenated compound such as well-known counts as one word. A contraction such as cannot or a word with an apostrophe in the middle also counts as one word once the surrounding punctuation is stripped.
Numbers count as words, including a year or a price. A web address or email address usually counts as one word if it contains no spaces. Decorative symbols on their own, with no letters or digits left after punctuation is stripped, do not count as words. Characters with spaces include letters, digits, punctuation, spaces, and new lines after line breaks are normalized. Characters without spaces use the same text with all whitespace removed, so punctuation still counts. That second figure is useful when you are checking a tight title or snippet budget. For more on titles and descriptions in search results, see the guide on how to write better meta descriptions.
Sentences are split on end punctuation such as a period, a question mark, or an exclamation mark, or on an ellipsis, when that mark is followed by a space or the end of the text. This is an estimate. Abbreviations such as Dr. or U.S. can be split too early, and a missing period can glue two sentences together. Use the sentence count as a check, then read the draft yourself.
Paragraphs are non-empty blocks separated by line breaks. Pressing Enter starts a new paragraph if that line has text. Empty lines in between are ignored, so two blocks separated by a blank line still count as two paragraphs. This is close to the way many text boxes work, but it may not match a word processor that treats every special break in a unique way.
Average word length is the mean number of characters in the counted word tokens, including hyphens inside a compound. It is a descriptive figure, not a quality grade. If your total differs from another word processor, the usual reason is a rule difference, such as hyphens, hidden characters, or line breaks, not a broken tool. Use one method consistently on your own drafts.
How reading time and speaking time are estimated
Reading time on this page is the word count divided by 200 words per minute. That rate is a common estimate for silent reading of ordinary prose. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a common estimate for clear spoken delivery. The results are rounded to the nearest second, and any non-empty draft shows at least one second.
These numbers are planning hints, not official Google or AdSense metrics. People read and speak at different speeds. A dense passage is often slower than a simple one, and a careful explainer may speak more slowly than 130 words per minute. If you are timing a video or a talk, read the draft out loud once and adjust from the estimate. Silent reading is usually faster than speech, so the two labels will differ. Do not treat a lower reading time as a ranking advantage, and do not pad a post so the estimate looks more impressive.
Frequent words, density, and long sentences
The keyword list shows the words that appear most often in the draft, with a count and a density percentage. Density is the count divided by the total number of words, then shown as a percentage of the whole draft. If a word appears 8 times in a 200 word draft, the density is 4 percent of all words, even if you hide common stop words in the list.
The stop-word toggle hides frequent function words such as the, and, of, and it, so the list is easier to scan for topic words. Hiding those words does not remove them from the draft and does not change the main word count. It only changes which rows appear in the table. This is a writing view, not a secret ranking filter.
There is no official ideal keyword density. Google does not publish a percentage you should hit, and stuffing the same phrase into every paragraph usually makes the writing worse. If the list is dominated by one phrase, ask whether the sentences still sound natural. If the list barely mentions the topic you thought you were writing about, the draft may have drifted.
A counter is not a research tool. A beginner guide to keyword research with free methods can help you pick a subject before you measure a draft. After the draft exists, heading structure still matters. The guide on how to use heading tags properly explains how to outline a page so readers can scan it. The longest sentence figure is a readability hint. If a sentence reaches 40 words or more, the tool shows a warning. That threshold is a writing habit check, not a search rule. Some explanations need a longer sentence. Many drafts become easier to read when a long sentence is split. Read it out loud and decide whether a visitor on a phone would have to back up.
Word count, SEO, and AdSense in context
Writers often hear that a post needs a certain number of words to rank or to be approved for ads. That advice sounds official, but it is not a published Google rule. Google does not publish a required word count for search rankings, and it does not publish a required word count for AdSense approval. A short, original page that answers a clear question can be useful. A long page that repeats itself, copies other sites, or adds filler to hit a number can be weaker.
Word count still has a practical role. If you set out to write a complete beginner guide and the counter shows a few hundred words, you may have missed steps, examples, or questions a first-time reader would ask. If the counter shows thousands of words and the draft still feels thin, the extra length may be repetition. The number is a prompt to look again, not a substitute for judgement.
The same is true for ads readiness. Reviewers care about whether a site has enough original, useful content, clear navigation, and policy-compliant pages, not whether a post hit a popular figure such as 1,000 words. For myths, useful writing ranges, and a readiness checklist that treats word count as one item among many, read the practical word counter guide for AdSense and blog writing on Free Seo Lab. This tool can help you measure a draft. It cannot approve a site, speed up a review, or promise an outcome.
Search quality work is also wider than length. Clear titles, accurate pages, and SEO-friendly blog posts that match the reader still matter more than a bigger total. For a second pass on headings, a focus phrase, and a writing checklist, open the Free SEO Content Checker. That tool stays in the browser as well. Research the topic, write a helpful draft, measure it, and edit for clarity. A longer post is not automatically better, and a shorter post is not automatically too thin.
Frequently asked questions
Does Google require a minimum word count?
No official minimum word count is published for search rankings or for AdSense approval. Popular figures you may see online are writing guidelines, not rules from Google. Write enough to cover the topic honestly, then judge the draft by how useful it is.
Does this tool upload my draft?
No. Counting happens in your browser. Nothing is sent over the network to produce the totals. A draft is saved on this device only if you opt in with the labelled checkbox. Turning that setting off deletes the saved draft.
Why does another word processor show a different total?
Programs do not all use the same rules for hyphens, line breaks, hidden characters, or footnotes. This page uses the method described above and applies it consistently. Small differences are common and usually do not mean either count is broken.
How is reading time calculated?
Reading time divides the word count by 200 words per minute. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute. Both are estimates for planning. They are not official Google metrics, and a real reader or speaker may be faster or slower.
What are stop words in the keyword list?
Stop words are common function words, such as the, and, of, and it. The toggle hides them from the frequent-word table so topic words are easier to see. It does not change the main word count, and it does not apply an official SEO filter.
Is there a best keyword density?
There is no official ideal density percentage. Use the list to see whether the draft still sounds like the topic you intended. Repeating a phrase until a percentage looks impressive is not a useful goal and can make the writing harder to read.
Can this tool get a site approved for AdSense?
No. It can help you review length, sentence load, and repeated words while you edit. Approval depends on the quality of the site, original content, policies, and other checks that no word counter can perform. Do not treat a target bar as a forecast.
Do I need a separate tool for headings and a focus phrase?
This counter focuses on length, time estimates, and word frequency. For a heading outline and a focus phrase review, use the Free SEO Content Checker. Both tools are listed with the rest of the live set on the Free SEO Tools for Bloggers hub.
Related guides and tools
These related pages on Free Seo Lab go deeper on topics from this guide:
- How Many Words Do You Need for Google AdSense Approval? A Practical Word Counter Guide for Bloggers
- Free SEO Content Checker
- Free SEO Tools for Bloggers
- How to Write SEO-Friendly Blog Posts (Simple Guide for Beginners)
- Complete Beginner Guide to Keyword Research (Free Methods)
- How to Use Heading Tags Properly (H1, H2, H3 Guide)
- How to Write Better Meta Descriptions (Simple Guide)
What this tool cannot do
It cannot fetch a published URL, count words on a live page you have not pasted, or match every word processor exactly. It cannot grade a page for search, promise rankings, or approve a site for AdSense. It cannot tell you the perfect length for a topic, and it cannot turn a thin or copied draft into a helpful one.
Use the totals to notice what is on the page, then edit the writing. The best result is a draft that a reader can understand and use, not a number that looks official.