How to count words
- Type or paste into the box, or choose Open file for a .docx, .txt or .md file. You can also drop a file onto the box.
- Read the counts on the right. They change as you edit, so you can trim a paragraph and watch the total drop.
- If you’re writing to a limit, pick Words or Characters next to Limit and enter the number. The bar fills as you get closer and turns red once you go over.
What each number means
- Words are runs of text between spaces that contain a letter or a digit. Each Chinese or Japanese character counts as a word.
- Characters include spaces and punctuation but not line breaks. Characters without spaces leaves out tabs as well.
- Sentences end at a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark followed by a space or the end of a paragraph. Paragraphs are lines with something on them.
- Most used words leaves out about 100 short common words, so the list shows the words you lean on. A Markdown file has its heading marks, list markers and link addresses removed when it opens.
Your text stays on your device
The counting runs inside your browser, on your own computer or phone, and a Word file you open is unpacked there too. A grant application you’re trimming to fit the form never passes through Oppermind, and nothing you type is saved once you close the tab. This page counts visits without cookies unless you’ve turned analytics off, and sets analytics cookies only if you allow them, as our privacy policy explains.
Questions
Is my text uploaded?
No. The counting happens in your browser on your own device, and files you open are read there too. Oppermind’s servers never receive your text, and the page doesn’t save it.
Why is my count different from Word’s?
Each program splits words a little differently. Here a word is anything between spaces that contains a letter or a digit, so a hyphenated word counts once and a lone dash or bullet doesn’t count. Each Chinese or Japanese character counts as one word. When you open a .docx, the main text and tables are counted, but headers, footers, footnotes, comments and text boxes aren’t.
How are reading and speaking times worked out?
Reading time assumes 238 words a minute and speaking time assumes 140 words a minute. People vary a lot, and dense technical text reads slower, so treat both as a rough guide.
What does the readability score mean?
It’s the Flesch reading ease score, worked out from the average sentence length and the average syllables per word. Higher is easier, and 60 to 70 is about plain English. Syllables are counted with spelling rules rather than a dictionary, and a sentence ends at a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark followed by a space, so abbreviations such as e.g. can add extra sentences. The score is an estimate and only suits English text.
Which files can I open?
Word .docx files, plain .txt files and Markdown .md files. Save an old .doc as .docx before opening it, and take the password off a protected document by saving a copy without one. You can also paste text from anywhere.
More doc tools
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