How to count words
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Word, character, sentence and paragraph counts update as you type.
- Check the reading and speaking time to plan articles, talks and videos.
Common length limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post | 280 characters |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| Meta description (search results) | About 155–160 characters |
| SMS message | 160 characters (70 with emoji or non-Latin letters) |
| College application essay (Common App) | 650 words |
Words vs characters
Essays and articles are usually measured in words; social posts, ad copy and form fields in characters. When a limit says “characters”, it almost always includes spaces. The counts here treat an emoji or an accented letter as one character, as it appears on screen.
Common uses
- An essay with a word limit. Paste your draft to check it against a 500 or 650-word limit while you edit, with the count updating as you type.
- Answers with a character limit. Application forms and grant portals often limit answers by characters. Draft here and check the count, including spaces, before pasting it in.
- Timing a talk or video script. Speaking time shows roughly how long a script takes to read aloud, so you can trim a talk or voice-over to fit its slot.