Count words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in any text, with reading-time and speaking-time estimates — all in your browser. Paste an essay to check a word limit, a bio to fit a character cap, or a speech to time it at 130 words per minute. Nothing is uploaded: the text you paste — cover letters, unpublished drafts, confidential copy — is counted on your device and never leaves it.
Word counts differ between tools more than people expect, because "word" isn't precisely defined. Hyphenated compounds, contractions, numbers, and em-dashes are each counted differently by different software, so a figure here may not match Word or Google Docs exactly. Where an exact number matters — an assignment limit, a job application, a publication brief — check which tool the reader will use to measure.
Paste your text
Drop in anything — an essay, a tweet draft, a script. Counting happens locally as the text sits in your browser.
Read the counts
Words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, and paragraphs — plus reading time at 200 wpm and speaking time at 130 wpm.
Edit and recount
Trim your text and count again until it fits the limit you're writing against.
Counting method
A word is a run of letters and digits, allowing internal apostrophes and hyphens — so "don't" and "well-known" each count once, while an em-dash between words separates them.
Characters with and without spaces
Both are shown because different requirements mean different things. Publishing and translation work usually cares about characters with spaces; database and form limits usually don't count them at all.
Reading time is an estimate
Calculated at 200 words per minute, a standard figure for adult reading of general prose. Technical or dense material reads considerably slower.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. The counting runs in your browser — there's no server on the other end, which matters when the text is an unpublished draft or confidential copy.
How is a 'word' counted?
Unicode-aware word matching: letters and numbers, with internal apostrophes and hyphens kept as one word — so "don't" and "over-think" each count once, matching how word processors count.
How accurate is the reading time?
It uses the standard estimates — 200 words per minute for silent reading, 130 for speaking aloud. Real speeds vary, but these are the numbers speech coaches and editors plan against.
Does it count characters with spaces or without?
Both are shown — character limits (Twitter/X, meta descriptions, SMS) usually count spaces, so check which your target uses.
Is there a length limit?
No practical one — book-length manuscripts count instantly, since it's all local.
Why doesn't this match Microsoft Word?
Word applies its own rules to hyphenation, numbers, and text inside footnotes or text boxes. Small differences are normal; if a hard limit is being enforced, measure with the tool that will enforce it.
Every GhostDev tool runs entirely in your browser. Your file is never uploaded — there's no upload endpoint to send it to.