How counting works
The Words figure counts English words — sequences of Latin letters and digits separated by spaces or punctuation. Characters are counted with and without spaces as two separate metrics, and both update instantly as you paste or type. Text in non-Latin scripts (Chinese, Russian, Arabic…) contributes to the character, line and paragraph counts, not the word count.
Counts are deterministic: the same text always produces the same numbers in the same tool. Tiny differences between tools come from edge cases like hyphenates, never from randomness or estimation.
Accuracy questions
For practical purposes — essays, applications, platform limits — online counters are exactly as accurate as word processors. The rare one-or-two-word differences between tools reflect edge-case conventions, not errors.
If a count looks wrong, check the input first: duplicated pastes, truncated copies, or text pasted twice are the usual culprits. The counter reports what it receives with complete fidelity.
Text types and edge cases
CJK text (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) is measured in characters rather than words, since these languages do not use spaces. Mixed-language documents follow each part's natural rule.
Formatted text is fine: bold, headings, and links do not affect the count, which measures words only. Tables count their cell contents as words — decide whether that matches your intention before trusting the total.
About the tool itself
The counter is completely free with no account and no usage limits, running in any modern browser on desktop, tablet, or phone, with the interface in 15 languages. Your text is processed locally and never uploaded anywhere.
Because counting is local, it works even if your connection drops after the page loads. There is nothing to install or update — you always get the current version automatically.
More questions, quick answers
Wondering about something specific? The universal rule answers nearly everything: words are space-separated runs, characters come with and without spaces, and CJK text counts in characters. Test edge cases on a copy of your text — counting is instant and free, so experimenting costs nothing. When two tools disagree, the difference is always an edge-case convention — never an error.
For recurring counting tasks, standardize your method once: which counter, which metric, how you handle edge cases. A written method turns every future count into a one-minute routine instead of a fresh decision. Pin the method where the team can see it.
And when a count surprises you — far higher or lower than expected — the input is almost always the explanation. Check for duplicated pastes, truncated copies, or pasted page chrome before suspecting the counter; it reports exactly what it receives. Trust the counter; interrogate the paste.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are online word counters?
As accurate as word processors for all practical purposes. Tiny cross-tool differences reflect edge-case conventions, not errors.
Do spaces count as characters?
There are two metrics: characters with spaces and without. Most platform limits mean with spaces — check your requirement.
How is Chinese text counted?
In characters, not words — CJK languages do not separate words with spaces, so character count is the meaningful number.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser; your words never leave your device.