Essay Word Counter
Paste or type your essay to see the word count update in real time. Stay on target for assignment limits, application essays, and dissertation chapters. All counting runs in your browser using JavaScript.
Text input
COUNT
Runs entirely in your browser
How it works
The counting runs entirely in JavaScript in your browser tab. As you type or paste text, the counts update synchronously with no network request.
Processing runs in your browser
Your text is held only in browser memory. Closing the tab removes it entirely.
Related operations
For checking reading difficulty alongside word count, try the readability checker. To generate placeholder copy of a target length, use lorem ipsum. For tidying capitalisation as you draft, see the case converter.
Frequently asked questions
- Are citations and the bibliography counted?
- The tool counts every word you paste. Most universities exclude the bibliography and footnotes but include in-text citations, check your institution's policy and paste only the body you want measured.
- How is the count different from Microsoft Word?
- The difference is usually 0-2 words. Both tools split on whitespace and treat hyphenated words like 'well-being' as a single word. Minor differences arise around dashes and numbers with units.
- Does it count words as I write?
- Yes. The count updates live with every keystroke, so you can stop exactly at your target without manual recounting.
- Is my essay sent to a server?
- All counting runs in your browser using JavaScript. Our servers are not involved at any point.
Related tools
Readability checker
Flesch reading ease, grade level, and estimated reading time. Paste any text and see the score.
Case converter
Convert text between camelCase, snake_case, kebab-case, PascalCase and more.
Text diff
Inline or side-by-side comparison. Handles plain text and structured diffs.
Sort lines
Sort lines alphabetically, by length, or shuffle randomly. Remove duplicates and empty lines in one click.