Count words and characters as you type

Live counts for words, characters, sentences and paragraphs, with reading and speaking time, a word goal, and a checklist of platform limits so you know what still fits. Your draft is kept in this browser between visits.

Runs on your device No account No limits Free, no ads

How to count words and characters as you type

Paste or type. The counts update with every keystroke, and the draft is saved in your browser so a reload does not lose it.
Read the numbers. Words, characters, characters without spaces, sentences, paragraphs, unique words, average word length and reading time. Set a word goal and watch the bar fill.
Check the limits. Each platform shows how many characters you have left, counted its own way: X weighs links as 23 and emoji as 2, SMS drops to 70 once it needs Unicode.

Why use myowntext for this

Nothing is uploaded

Text is processed by your browser. There is no server, so contracts, cover letters and private notes never travel anywhere.

Instant, even offline

Every result appears as you type. Once a page has loaded it keeps working without a connection.

Shows its work

Counts, highlights and reports tell you exactly what was found and what changed. Nothing is hidden behind a spinner.

No account, no limits

Free with no sign-up, no word cap, no ads and no nag to upgrade.

Questions people ask

How are words counted?

Any run of letters, digits or apostrophes separated by spaces or punctuation is a word. Hyphenated words count as one, and numbers count as words, which matches Word and Google Docs.

How is reading time worked out?

Reading time assumes 200 words per minute, a common average for adults reading on screen. Speaking time assumes 130 words per minute, a natural presentation pace.

Are sentences counted correctly with abbreviations?

The counter knows common abbreviations such as Dr., e.g. and U.S., decimals such as 3.14 and initials, so those do not end a sentence.

Do the platform limits count the way the platforms do?

Yes. X counts every link as 23 characters and emoji, CJK characters and most symbols as two. SMS holds 160 characters in the basic GSM alphabet but only 70 once a single emoji or curly quote forces Unicode, and longer texts are split into segments. Bluesky counts graphemes, so an emoji is one. The rest count Unicode code points, which is what they do.

Is my text saved anywhere?

Only in your own browser, in local storage on this device, so you can come back to a draft. Clear removes it. Nothing is ever uploaded.