NoteFast / Word counter
Word counter
Paste or type below. Words, characters, sentences and time estimates update as you go.
AI writing helper
Sends only the current text, on click, to an AI model via Vercel AI Gateway. Nothing is stored. Max 12,000 characters.
Type something in the pad first.
What counts as a word? Flip the rules
Word processors quietly make choices about hyphens, numbers and symbols. Edit the sentence or toggle a rule and watch the total change.
14 words
- 1The
- 2well-known
- 3e-mail
- 4said:
- 5"Don't
- 6pay
- 7$1,200
- 8pay
- 91.5k
- 10re-send
- 11it
- 12by
- 135
- 14p.m."
NoteFast's default (both hyphen and contraction switches off, numbers on, symbols off) lines up with Microsoft Word on ordinary prose. Google Docs tends to split words joined by slashes and some hyphens, so it can run a few percent higher on technical text.
Common word limits
| Where | Limit | You | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common App essay | 650 | 0 | – |
| UCAS personal statement (approx.) | 550 | 0 | – |
| Abstract (typical) | 250 | 0 | – |
| LinkedIn About section | 400 | 0 | – |
| Cover letter (one page) | 400 | 0 | – |
| Blog post (typical) | 1,500 | 0 | – |
Always check the current limit with the organisation – the figures above are the widely published ones and can change.
Tips for hitting a word limit
- Over the limit? Cut throat-clearing openers ("It is important to note that"), doubled adjectives and "in order to" (just "to").
- Under the limit? Add a concrete example or a number rather than more adjectives. Specifics add words that earn their place.
- Check the rule. Many applications count the title and references differently. If in doubt, count what you'll paste into the box.
Need to see it as time or pages instead? Try words to minutes or words to pages.
Questions people ask
How does this word counter count words?
It splits text on spaces and line breaks, then keeps every chunk that contains a letter or a number. Hyphenated words like "well-known" and contractions like "don't" count as one word, which matches Microsoft Word and Google Docs in most cases.
Why does Google Docs give a different word count?
Editors disagree on edge cases. Google Docs counts some hyphenated and slash-joined words as two, and it skips certain symbols; Word treats a spaced dash as a word. Use the rule switches on this page to see exactly which choice changes your total.
How many words is a 5-minute speech?
At a typical presentation pace of about 130–150 words per minute, a 5-minute speech is roughly 650–750 words.
How many pages is 1,000 words?
About 2 pages single-spaced or 4 pages double-spaced in 12 pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. Font, size and spacing all shift that – see the words-to-pages calculator.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Counting happens in your browser. Text is kept in local storage so it survives a refresh, and you can clear it any time.