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Character & Word Counter

Type or paste text and see the character count with and without spaces, the word, sentence and line counts, and the size in UTF-8 bytes, all updating as you type. It is built for the moments when a limit is enforced somewhere else: a post that must fit, a meta description that must not be truncated, a database column that counts bytes rather than letters. Those three ways of measuring the same text disagree more often than people expect, which is exactly why they are shown side by side. Everything is computed in the page and nothing is stored or sent.

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Characters
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No spaces
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Words
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Sentences
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Lines
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Bytes

How to use

  1. Type or paste your text into the text area.
  2. The statistics update instantly as you type.
  3. Use 'characters without spaces' for strict length limits.
  4. Use the byte count to check UTF-8 storage size.
  5. Click Clear to start over.

Frequently asked questions

How are characters counted?
Characters are counted by Unicode code points, so emoji and accented letters count correctly.
How are words counted?
Words are sequences separated by whitespace; multiple spaces or line breaks don't inflate the count.
What is the byte count?
It's the size of your text encoded as UTF-8, which is how most systems store and transmit text.
Is my text stored anywhere?
It stays in your browser. Your input is saved locally so it's still there when you return, but it's never uploaded.
Why does a social platform count my post differently?
Because most platforms apply their own rules rather than counting characters. Links are usually replaced by a fixed-length placeholder no matter how long the URL is, and some services weight characters by script, charging one unit for Latin and two for CJK. Use this count as the true length of your text and the platform's own indicator as the final word.
Why does one emoji count as more than one character?
Because a character here means a UTF-16 code unit, which is what JavaScript, most databases and most length limits actually count. Emoji outside the basic range take two units, and a single visible emoji built from several joined parts - a flag, or a family - can take many more. What looks like one symbol is frequently a short sequence underneath.
How long should a meta description be?
Around 150-160 characters is the usual advice, but search engines truncate by rendered width rather than character count, so a line full of wide characters is cut earlier than a narrow one. Treat the number as a guide, put the important words first, and the truncation point stops mattering.

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