What this counter counts
Paste your text and you get all of these at once. The rules are the same ones the TypeTak editor uses for the count below your page.
| Count | How it's counted |
|---|---|
| Words | Pieces of text separated by spaces. A piece with no letter or digit in it, such as a lone “—”, isn't a word. |
| Characters (with spaces) | Every character including spaces. The line breaks between paragraphs aren't counted. |
| Characters (without spaces) | Every character once spaces and line breaks are taken out. |
| Paragraphs | Lines that aren't empty. |
| Pages | Words divided by 250, rounded up. You can change the words per page. |
| Reading time | Words at 238 a minute, rounded up. |
Each letter, punctuation mark and emoji is one character. A contraction like “don't” is one word, and so is a hyphenated one like “well-known”.
Words or characters: which one to check
Use whatever unit the guidelines use. Agents, publishers and most short story contests give lengths in words, such as “up to 3,000 words”. Character limits turn up in online forms, where a pitch or a bio has to fit a box.
If you're writing to a limit, set Main count on the results card to that unit. The big number at the top and the progress bar then show that unit.
How many pages is that?
A manuscript page in standard format (12-point type, double-spaced, one-inch margins) holds about 250 words, which is what the counter uses. A page full of dialogue holds fewer. If your guidelines assume a different page, change Words per page.
A printed book page is a different thing. Trim size, font and leading change how much fits, so publishers and agents ask for a word count rather than a page count. Typical lengths by genre, and how many pages a novel runs, are in How Many Words Is a Novel?.
Checking a chapter or an entry against a limit
Put the limit in Target length. The bar shows how far the pasted text has got, as a percentage. To check several chapters one after another, paste them one at a time and keep the numbers with Copy results.
How reading time is worked out
Reading time is the word count divided by 238 words a minute, rounded up. That figure comes from a 2019 review of reading-rate studies, which put the average silent reading speed of English-speaking adults at 238 words a minute for non-fiction and 260 for fiction. Speeds vary a lot between readers, so treat the number as a rough guide to how long a chapter takes.
Writing to a length in TypeTak
TypeTak is an AI writing editor where you write alongside an agent. It keeps the number you just checked here in view while you write, so you can work toward the limit as you go.
- The count is where you write — The page's length sits below the editor. Press it to see the length of the chapter and the whole manuscript, counted the same way as here.
- It counts in the unit you're aiming for — Choose characters with spaces, characters without spaces or words, and the count below the editor and your goals all follow it.
- Daily writing adds up — Set a daily goal and you see what you wrote today and how far the manuscript has come, below the editor and on the manuscript card.
FAQ
Does my text get sent to a server?
No. All the counting happens in your browser. The text is saved only in this browser so a reload doesn't lose it, and Clear removes it.
Why is the count different from Word or Google Docs?
Each program has slightly different rules for line breaks, punctuation and emoji. This counter doesn't count line breaks and counts each emoji as one character. If the guidelines go by a particular program's count, use that program's number.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About four pages in standard manuscript format, at 250 words a page. Single-spaced, the same 1,000 words take roughly two pages.
Can I count pages at something other than 250 words?
Yes. Change Words per page under the results card, and the page count is worked out again.
Can I open a file directly?
Press Open .txt, or drop a .txt or .md file onto the text box, and it's counted straight away. For a Word (.docx) or Google Docs file, copy the text and paste it in.
Sources
- Counting rules
- TypeTak guide: Word count and character count