Frequently Asked Questions

Word Counter is a free online text analysis tool that instantly counts words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and pages in your text. Simply type or paste your content into the editor, and our tool automatically calculates all metrics in real-time. No installation or sign-up required - just start typing and get instant results.

Yes, Word Counter is 100% free to use with no hidden charges, premium tiers, or usage limits. You can analyze unlimited text, access all features including keyword density analysis and reading time calculation, and use the tool as often as you need without any restrictions.

No account creation is required. Word Counter works instantly in your browser without any sign-up, login, or personal information. Just visit the site and start analyzing your text immediately. Your work is automatically saved locally in your browser for convenience.

Word Counter accepts any text-based content including essays, articles, blog posts, academic papers, novels, emails, social media posts, and more. You can type directly into the editor or paste content from any source. The tool works with plain text and maintains basic formatting during analysis.

Our word counting algorithm is highly accurate and follows standard conventions used by major word processors. We count words based on spaces and punctuation boundaries, accurately handling contractions, hyphenated words, and special characters. The results match industry-standard tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Words are counted as sequences of characters separated by spaces, line breaks, or punctuation marks. Contractions like "don't" count as one word, hyphenated words like "state-of-the-art" count as one word, and numbers are counted as words. This matches the standard used by Microsoft Word and academic institutions.

Characters with spaces includes every character you type: letters, numbers, punctuation, spaces, and line breaks. Characters without spaces excludes all whitespace characters, counting only visible text. This distinction is important for different platforms - Twitter uses characters with spaces, while some academic requirements specify without spaces.

Sentences are identified by ending punctuation marks (periods, question marks, exclamation points) followed by a space or line break. We use intelligent detection to handle abbreviations, decimal numbers, and other edge cases to provide accurate sentence counts for readability analysis.

Reading time is calculated based on the average adult reading speed of 200-250 words per minute. We use 225 WPM as our default, which accounts for comprehension. The estimate assumes continuous reading without breaks and may vary based on text complexity and individual reading speed.

A paragraph is defined as one or more sentences separated by line breaks. Empty lines are not counted as paragraphs. This helps you structure your writing and ensures your content has appropriate paragraph breaks for better readability.

Keyword density shows how frequently specific words appear in your text as a percentage of total words. This is crucial for SEO optimization, helping you avoid keyword stuffing while ensuring important terms appear often enough. We display the top keywords with their frequency and density percentages.

Our reading level analysis evaluates text complexity using factors like average sentence length, syllables per word, and vocabulary difficulty. This helps ensure your content matches your target audience, whether writing for general readers, academics, or specific grade levels.

Yes! We provide character counts optimized for various platforms including Twitter (280 characters), Facebook posts (63,206 characters), Instagram captions (2,200 characters), LinkedIn posts (3,000 characters), and SMS messages (160 characters). The tool shows how your text fits within each platform's limits.

You can paste plain text from any source including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, PDFs, emails, web pages, and text editors. While we accept text from any format, complex formatting like tables, images, and special styles will be converted to plain text for accurate counting.

Word Counter can handle substantial amounts of text - typically up to 100,000 words or more depending on your browser's capabilities. For extremely large documents like full novels, you may experience slight delays in real-time counting, but the tool will still process your text accurately.

Your text is only saved locally in your browser's storage for your convenience when you return to the site. We do not store, save, or transmit your text to any servers. All processing happens directly in your browser, ensuring complete privacy and confidentiality of your content.

No, your text is completely private. Word Counter processes everything locally in your browser without sending data to our servers or any third parties. Only you can see what you type, and closing your browser or clearing the text removes it from local storage.

Absolutely not. We don't collect, analyze, or use your text for any purpose beyond providing you with word count statistics. There's no data mining, content analysis, or sharing with third parties. Your writing remains 100% your own.

Yes, it's safe to analyze sensitive or confidential documents because all processing occurs locally in your browser. No data is transmitted over the internet, making it as secure as typing in a local text editor. However, always follow your organization's data handling policies.

Simply clear the text editor or refresh the page to remove your current text. To remove locally saved text, clear your browser's local storage or use private/incognito mode where nothing is saved between sessions.

Word count varies by format: Blog posts (1,500-2,500 words), Academic essays (500-5,000 words), Short stories (1,000-7,500 words), Novels (70,000-100,000 words), Twitter posts (280 characters), Email subject lines (30-50 characters), Cover letters (250-400 words). Always check specific requirements for your purpose.

A well-structured paragraph typically contains 100-200 words or 3-8 sentences. For web content, shorter paragraphs of 50-100 words improve readability. Academic writing may have longer paragraphs of 150-250 words. Focus on one main idea per paragraph regardless of length.

Aim for an average sentence length of 15-20 words for optimal readability. Mix short sentences (5-10 words) with medium (15-25 words) and occasional long sentences (30+ words) for rhythm. Academic writing may average 20-25 words, while web content should stay under 20 words.

Target 1-2% keyword density for primary keywords and 0.5-1% for secondary keywords. Avoid keyword stuffing (over 3% density) which can harm SEO. Use synonyms and related terms naturally. Focus on user intent and readability first, then optimize density. Our tool helps you track this in real-time.

General web content: 8th-9th grade level. News articles: 10th-11th grade. Academic papers: College level. Marketing copy: 6th-8th grade. Technical documentation: Match your audience's expertise. Lower reading levels generally reach wider audiences while maintaining clarity.

Word Counter works on all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. We recommend using the latest version of your browser for the best experience. The tool is fully responsive and works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

Text saving relies on your browser's local storage. If text isn't saving, check that: 1) Cookies and local storage are enabled, 2) You're not using private/incognito mode, 3) Your browser storage isn't full. Clearing browser data will also remove saved text.

Once loaded, Word Counter can work offline for the current session since all processing happens in your browser. However, you need an internet connection to initially load the tool and access any updates or additional features like our blog content.

Minor differences can occur due to: 1) Handling of special characters and symbols, 2) Treatment of hyphenated words, 3) Recognition of abbreviations. Our algorithm follows standard conventions and typically matches Word within 1-2% for most documents.

We welcome feedback to improve Word Counter. You can report issues or suggest features through our contact page. Please include details about your browser, operating system, and steps to reproduce any issues. We regularly update the tool based on user feedback.