Instant Analysis
Results update in real-time as you type. No button clicks, no page reloads.
Free Word Counter. Understand your writing.
Instant word count, character count, readability scores, keyword density and more — completely free, no sign-up required.
100% Free
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Works Offline
Everything you need to analyze your text
Powerful text insights — instantly. No account, no limits, no cost.
Readability Scores
Flesch-Kincaid score tells you exactly how easy your text is to understand.
Keyword Density
See your top 10 keywords and their frequency — essential for SEO writing.
Dark Mode
Easy on the eyes, day or night. System preference detected automatically.
Auto-Save
Your text is saved locally. Come back later and it'll still be there.
Mobile-First
Perfectly optimized for phones and tablets. Count words anywhere.
File Upload
Drop in a .txt, .md, or .csv file and analyze it instantly.
100% Private
All processing runs in your browser. Your text never leaves your device.
What is a Word Counter?
A word counter is a free online tool that instantly counts the number of words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in any block of text. Writers, students, bloggers, and SEO professionals use word counters to meet length requirements, optimize content, and analyze readability — all without installing any software.
How to Use the Free Word Counter
WordlyCount requires zero setup. Here's how it works:
- Type or paste your text into the editor on the left.
- Word count, character count, sentences, and reading time update instantly as you type — no button click needed.
- Check the stats panel on the right for readability scores, keyword density, and detailed breakdowns.
- Use the Upload button to analyze a
.txt,.md, or.csvfile directly.
What Does WordlyCount Measure?
Beyond a simple word count, WordlyCount gives you a full text analysis report:
- Word count — total words, excluding whitespace
- Character count — with and without spaces
- Sentence & paragraph count — structural analysis
- Reading time — based on 238 wpm average
- Speaking time — based on 130 wpm average
- Flesch-Kincaid readability score — grade level of your text
- Keyword density — top 10 keywords and their frequency percentage
Word Count Requirements for Common Writing Tasks
Not sure how long your content should be? Here are standard word count targets used by writers, editors, and SEO professionals:
| Writing Task | Recommended Word Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blog post (standard) | 1,000 – 1,500 words | Good for news, updates, listicles |
| Long-form SEO article | 2,000 – 4,000 words | Best for ranking on competitive keywords |
| College essay | 500 – 650 words | Common App standard limit |
| Novel | 70,000 – 100,000 words | Genre fiction varies widely |
| 5-minute speech | ~650 words | Based on 130 wpm speaking pace |
| Twitter / X post | Up to 280 characters | Links count as 23 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 150 – 300 words | Longer posts get "see more" truncation |
| Meta description | 120 – 158 characters | Mobile truncates at ~120 chars |
Why Use WordlyCount Instead of Word or Google Docs?
Microsoft Word and Google Docs both show word counts, but WordlyCount goes further — providing readability analysis, keyword density, and reading time that those tools don't offer natively. It also works entirely in your browser, meaning your text is never sent to a server. It's faster, lighter, and completely private.
- No login required — open the page and start typing immediately
- Readability scoring — Flesch-Kincaid not available in Docs or Word by default
- Keyword density — instantly see which words dominate your content
- 100% private — all processing runs locally in your browser
- Works offline — no internet connection needed after first load
💡 Pro Tips for Better Writing
- Aim for a Flesch score of 60–70 for general web content — readable by most adults without feeling dumbed down.
- Keep keyword density between 1–2% for your primary keyword to avoid Google's over-optimization penalty.
- Use speaking time to rehearse presentations — a 10-minute talk needs roughly 1,300 words at a natural pace.
-
Upload
.txtor.mdfiles to analyze drafts directly — no copy-paste needed for long documents. -
Auto-save is always on — your text persists in
localStorageso you never lose a draft on accidental tab close.
Related searches:
⚡ How to Use WordlyCount
Start analyzing your text in seconds — no sign-up, no setup required.
Type or Paste Text
Click the editor and start typing, or paste your content directly with Ctrl+V.
Ctrl + V to paste
See Instant Results
Word count, character count, sentences, and reading time update in real-time as you type — no button click needed.
Review Deep Analysis
Check the stats panel for your Flesch-Kincaid readability score, top keyword density, and speaking time.
Upload a File
Use the Upload button to analyze a
.txt, .md, or .csv
file directly — no copy-paste needed.
Pro tip: Your text is auto-saved to your browser as you type — so you'll never lose a draft on an accidental tab close. All processing runs locally in your browser, meaning your content is always 100% private. Works offline too — bookmark this page and use it anywhere, even without Wi-Fi.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl + A
Select all text
Ctrl + V
Paste content
Ctrl + Z
Undo last change
Ctrl + X
Cut selected text
Delete
Clear selection
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about word counting, text analysis, and how WordlyCount works.
WordlyCount splits your text by whitespace and punctuation boundaries, counting each distinct word token. Key rules:
- Hyphenated words (e.g. well-known) count as one word
- Numbers (e.g. 2024) count as one word
- Contractions (e.g. don't) count as one word
- Empty lines and extra spaces are ignored
Word count per page depends on formatting:
| Format | Words per page |
|---|---|
| Double spaced (12pt) | 250–300 |
| Single spaced (12pt) | 500–600 |
| Single spaced (10pt) | 700–800 |
Based on average speeds:
| Words | Reading time | Speaking time |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 2 min 6 sec | 3 min 51 sec |
| 1,000 | 4 min 12 sec | 7 min 42 sec |
| 1,500 | 6 min 18 sec | 11 min 32 sec |
| 2,000 | 8 min 24 sec | 15 min 23 sec |
Reading speed: 238 wpm average. Speaking speed: 130 wpm average.
| Document type | Typical word count |
|---|---|
| Tweet / social post | 15–280 |
| Short blog post | 300–600 |
| Standard blog post | 1,000–1,500 |
| Long-form article | 2,000–4,000 |
| Short story | 1,000–7,500 |
| Novella | 17,500–40,000 |
| Novel | 70,000–100,000 |
| College essay | 500–650 |
| PhD dissertation | 80,000–100,000 |
| Score | Level | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | 5th grade | Children's books |
| 70–90 | 6th–7th grade | General audience |
| 60–70 | 8th–9th grade | Blogs, web copy ✓ |
| 50–60 | 10th–12th grade | Technical content |
| 30–50 | College | Academic writing |
| 0–30 | Graduate | Scientific papers |
For SEO and general web content, aim for a score of 60–70 (8th–9th grade level).
Keyword density is the percentage of times a keyword appears relative to the total word count of your content.
Formula:
(Keyword count ÷ Total words) × 100 = Density %
For SEO best practices:
- 1–2% — ideal for primary keywords
- Below 1% — may be under-optimized
- Above 3% — risks keyword stuffing penalties
WordlyCount shows your top 10 keywords and their density in real-time as you type.
| Speech length | Word count (slow) | Word count (avg) | Word count (fast) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | 100 | 130 | 160 |
| 5 minutes | 500 | 650 | 800 |
| 10 minutes | 1,000 | 1,300 | 1,600 |
| 20 minutes | 2,000 | 2,600 | 3,200 |
| 1 hour | 6,000 | 7,800 | 9,600 |
Your text never leaves your device.
All analysis runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. We do not:
- Store your text on any server
- Transmit your content over the network
- Log or track what you write
- Share data with third parties
The only local storage used is your browser's
localStorage for the auto-save feature —
which stays entirely on your device.
Yes. Once the page has loaded, all text analysis runs 100% client-side in your browser. No internet connection is required to count words, analyze readability, or check keyword density.
Tip: Bookmark this page and use it anytime — even on a plane or without Wi-Fi.
Yes — completely free, forever. No account required, no usage limits, no paywalled features. Every tool on WordlyCount is free to use without sign-up.