How it works
The counter updates as you type and reports the numbers people actually get asked for: characters with and without spaces, words, CJK characters, UTF-8 bytes, lines, sentences and paragraphs. Estimated reading and speaking times are included for scripts, articles and presentations.
Characters = every code point in the text, including spaces
What each number means
- Characters: everything you typed, spaces included. This is the count most forms enforce.
- No spaces: characters with all whitespace removed.
- Words: whitespace-separated chunks, so Korean, Chinese and Japanese text counts by word group as well as by character.
- CJK characters: Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters counted individually — the number that matters for translation quotes.
- UTF-8 bytes: the real storage size. Korean, Japanese and Chinese characters take three bytes each, so byte limits are reached far sooner than character limits.
- Reading time: about 200 words per minute for Latin text and 400 characters per minute for CJK.
Tips
- Emoji and combined characters are counted as single code points, so they match what social platforms show.
- Blank lines separate paragraphs; every line break counts as a new line.
- Nothing is uploaded — the count runs entirely in your browser, so private drafts stay private.
Standards and sources
- Word, line and paragraph definitions follow common word-processor conventions
- UTF-8 byte counts follow the Unicode standard (RFC 3629), where CJK characters occupy three bytes
- Reading speed ranges follow widely cited averages for adult silent reading and speech
Last reviewed October 7, 2026
Frequently asked questions
How are Korean, Chinese and Japanese counted?
Each CJK character is counted individually as well as being grouped into whitespace-separated “words”, so the tool matches both character limits and translation word counts.
Why does the byte count matter more than the character count?
Storage and database limits are measured in bytes. A Korean, Chinese or Japanese character takes three bytes in UTF-8, so a 100-character limit can be reached at around 33 CJK characters.
Are emoji counted as one character?
Yes. The counter works on Unicode code points, so an emoji counts as one, matching what most platforms display.
How is the reading time estimated?
About 200 words per minute for Latin text and 400 characters per minute for CJK — the ranges commonly used for adult silent reading.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Counting happens entirely in your browser, so drafts and private documents never leave your device.