Character Counter
Count characters with and without spaces as you type, and see how much room is left for X posts, text messages, meta descriptions and Instagram captions.
Characters0
No spaces0
Words0
Sentences0
Paragraphs0
Reading time0
Speaking time0
Limits
Words to reading time
| Words | Reading time | Speaking time | Typical pages* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.4 min | 0.7 min | 0.2 |
| 250 | 1.1 min | 1.8 min | 0.5 |
| 500 | 2.1 min | 3.6 min | 1 |
| 750 | 3.2 min | 5.4 min | 1.5 |
| 1,000 | 4.2 min | 7.1 min | 2 |
| 1,500 | 6.3 min | 11 min | 3 |
| 2,000 | 8.4 min | 14 min | 4 |
| 3,000 | 13 min | 21 min | 6 |
| 5,000 | 21 min | 36 min | 10 |
*At about 500 words per single-spaced page or 250 double-spaced.
Common length limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| X (Twitter) post | 280 characters |
| Text message (SMS) | 160 characters |
| Meta description (Google) | about 155–160 characters |
| YouTube title | 100 characters |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters |
| Common App college essay | 650 words |
More text tools
Questions
How are words counted?
A word is any run of letters or numbers. Hyphenated words like “well-known” and contractions like “don't” count as one word. Numbers such as 2026 count as words.
Do spaces count as characters?
Yes, in the main character count, as they do on X (Twitter) and in text messages. The “no spaces” figure leaves out spaces, tabs and line breaks.
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4 minutes at the average adult reading speed of 238 words a minute, and about 7 minutes to say aloud at 140 words a minute.
Is my text saved or sent anywhere?
No. Counting happens in your browser and nothing is uploaded.