Word Counter

Free Word Counter for Canadian Students and Writers

Whether you're writing an essay for the University of Toronto, a brief for a federal government department, or a piece for a Canadian publication, knowing your exact word count is essential. This free word counter provides real-time counts of words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs — no sign-up required, nothing stored on our servers.

Canada's bilingual context means writers often need to count in both English and French. While this tool counts text in any Latin-script language, the reading time and readability scores are calibrated for English. For French-language work, reading time will be slightly underestimated since French text tends to be denser per word.

How to Use This Word Counter

1. Paste or type your text into the text area. Stats update instantly on every keystroke.
2. Review your statistics: word count, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, unique words, average word length, reading time, and speaking time.
3. Check keyword density in the table below — academic and professional writing should keep any single term below 3–4% density.
4. Set an academic target from the preset dropdown and track progress with the bar.
5. Upload a file by dragging a .txt, .docx, or .pdf onto the upload zone.

Why Word Count Matters in Canada

Canadian universities enforce strict word limits. At schools like UBC, McGill, and the University of Alberta, assignments that exceed limits by more than 10% typically receive grade deductions. The standard undergraduate essay sits at 1,500–2,500 words; graduate seminar papers run 3,000–5,000 words.

In Canadian journalism, the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star typically run news stories at 500–800 words and features at 1,500–3,000 words. Government and policy writing — a significant sector in Ottawa — often requires precise word counts for submissions, ministerial briefings, and regulatory documents.

Reading Time: How It's Calculated

Reading time uses an average adult reading speed of 238 words per minute for English. Canadian readers of French-language content read at approximately 195 WPM due to French text's higher information density per word.

Speaking time is set at 130 WPM — the standard pace for broadcast English. French-language broadcasters on Radio-Canada typically speak at 120–125 WPM. A five-minute speech needs approximately 650 words in English; a ten-minute address needs around 1,300 words.

Social Media Character Limits for Canadian Creators

• X (Twitter): 280 characters. Keep it sharp — Canadian audiences respond to wit and brevity.
• Instagram caption: 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 show before "more".
• LinkedIn post: 3,000 characters. Canadian B2B posts perform well at 1,000–1,500 characters.
• Facebook: Up to 63,206 characters, but shorter posts consistently outperform long ones for organic reach.
• TikTok bio: 80 characters.

Canadian Academic Word Limits

• Short response (250–500 words): First-year courses, weekly reflections
• Essay (1,000–1,500 words): Introductory undergraduate
• Essay (2,000–3,000 words): Upper-year undergraduate
• Seminar paper (3,000–5,000 words): Graduate coursework
• Honours thesis (15,000–20,000 words): Fourth-year capstone
• Masters thesis (30,000–50,000 words): Varies by discipline
• PhD dissertation (70,000–100,000 words): Typically 80,000 words

Writing Tips for Canadian Contexts

• Use Canadian English spelling: "colour," "honour," "analyse" — Canadian style follows British spelling conventions more closely than American.
• Follow the Canadian Press Style Book for journalism and public communications.
• Bilingual considerations: If writing for a federal audience, remember that documents may need to be translated — simple, precise language translates better.
• Avoid padding: Canadian academic markers are experienced at identifying unnecessary filler. Every sentence should advance your argument.