What is counted
| Metric | How |
|---|---|
| Words | Sequences of letters or digits, including hyphenated words and contractions |
| Characters | Every character, with and without spaces |
| Sentences | Text ending in . ! ? or … |
| Paragraphs | Blocks separated by blank lines |
| Reading time | Words ÷ 230 per minute |
| Speaking time | Words ÷ 140 per minute (presentations, videos, podcasts) |
| Readability | Flesch Reading Ease, 0–100 — higher is easier |
Common length limits
- Meta description: about 155 characters · SEO title: about 60 characters.
- X (Twitter) post: 280 characters · Instagram caption: 2,200 characters.
- YouTube title: 100 characters · YouTube description: 5,000 characters.
- Google Business Profile description: 750 characters.
How long should a blog post be?
There is no ideal word count for SEO — Google has said length is not a ranking factor. Write as much as the topic needs to fully answer the searcher's question, and no more. Look at the pages already ranking for your keyword to see what depth users expect.
Readability
A Flesch score of 60–70 is plain English that most adults read easily; 30–50 is fairly difficult (academic); below 30 is very hard. Shorter sentences and simpler words raise the score.
Check keyword usage with the Keyword Density Checker or change capitalisation with the Case Converter. Your text never leaves your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a 5-minute read?
About 1,150 words at an average reading speed of 230 words per minute.
How many words can I say in a minute?
Around 130 to 150 words per minute in a presentation or video. The counter uses 140.
Is word count a Google ranking factor?
No. Google ranks pages that best answer the query; length should match what the topic needs.
What is a good readability score?
A Flesch Reading Ease of 60 to 70 is easy for most adults to read.
Does the word counter store my text?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser.