Word Counter
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Keyword Frequency
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Social Media Character Limits
Academic Word Limits
Free Word Counter for the United Kingdom
Whether you're writing a dissertation for Oxford, an article for a British publication, or a LinkedIn post for the UK market, knowing your exact word count is essential. This free word counter shows words, characters, sentences, and paragraphs in real time — no sign-up required, no data stored, fully GDPR-compliant.
The tool calculates reading time at 238 words per minute (standard adult English reading speed), analyses keyword density, and shows a Flesch readability score so you know how accessible your writing is.
How to Use the Word Counter
- Type or paste your text into the box. All statistics update instantly as you write.
- Read the statistics panel: words, characters (with and without spaces), sentences, paragraphs, unique words, average word length, reading time, and speaking time.
- Check keyword density in the table — for academic work, no single word should exceed 3–4 % density.
- Set an academic target from the dropdown and track progress on the progress bar.
- Upload a file by dragging a .txt, .docx, or .pdf onto the upload zone to extract text automatically.
- Export results — copy the summary to clipboard or download as a .txt file.
Why Word Count Matters in the UK
UK universities — Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Imperial, Edinburgh — impose strict word limits enforced by awarding bodies and faculty regulations. A typical undergraduate dissertation runs 8,000–12,000 words; a master's dissertation 15,000–20,000 words; a PhD thesis 70,000–100,000 words. Exceeding the limit by more than 10 % can result in mark deductions at most institutions.
In British journalism — The Guardian, The Times, The Economist — a standard news article is 400–700 words; a feature or analysis piece 1,200–3,000 words. For SEO on Google.co.uk, articles exceeding 1,000 words consistently rank higher than shorter content on the same topic.
UK English note: British spelling conventions — "colour", "organisation", "recognised", "licence" (noun) vs "license" (verb) — are expected in formal academic and professional writing. This tool counts words identically regardless of spelling variant.
Reading Time: How It's Calculated
Reading time is calculated at 238 words per minute — the well-established average for adult silent reading in English. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, a pace suited to clear, measured delivery at conferences and in lectures.
A five-minute speech requires approximately 650 words; a ten-minute presentation around 1,300 words; a 45-minute lecture roughly 5,850 words. BBC Radio 4 presenters typically speak at 160–180 WPM; Parliamentary speeches average around 130 WPM.
Social Media Character Limits for the UK
- X (Twitter): 280 characters per post. UK audiences reward wit and brevity — long threads perform less well than a single sharp tweet.
- Instagram caption: Up to 2,200 characters, but only the first 125 are shown without tapping "more". The hook matters most.
- LinkedIn post: Up to 3,000 characters. UK professional audiences respond best to posts of 800–1,500 characters with a clear point of view.
- Facebook: Up to 63,206 characters technically, but posts over 400 words typically see reduced organic reach.
- TikTok bio: 80 characters.
Academic Word Limits in the UK
- GCSE controlled assessment: 800–1,000 words (varies by subject)
- A-level essay: 1,000–2,000 words
- A-level Extended Project (EPQ): 5,000 words
- Undergraduate essay: 1,500–3,000 words
- Undergraduate dissertation: 8,000–12,000 words
- Master's dissertation: 15,000–20,000 words
- PhD thesis: 70,000–100,000 words
Always check your institution's specific regulations — some UK universities quote limits in words, others in pages, and a few allow a ±10 % margin.
Writing Tips for UK English
- Use British spelling consistently: "colour" not "color", "analyse" not "analyze", "centre" not "center". Mixing variants looks careless in formal writing.
- Prefer active voice: "The committee approved the proposal" is clearer and shorter than "The proposal was approved by the committee".
- Cut filler phrases: "It is important to note that", "In order to", "Due to the fact that" — these add words without adding meaning. A British academic reader will notice.
- Keyword density for SEO: For content targeting UK audiences on Google.co.uk, keep each keyword below 2 %. The table above shows your current density in real time.
Does the tool use British or American English word counts?
Word counting is language-agnostic — it splits on spaces and punctuation, so "colour" and "color" both count as one word. The tool doesn't penalise either spelling convention.
How is reading time calculated?
We use 238 words per minute — the well-established average for adult silent reading in English.
Can I upload a Word document?
Yes. Drag a .docx or .pdf file onto the upload area and the text will be extracted automatically.
Is my text stored or sent anywhere?
No. All processing happens locally in your browser. No text is transmitted to any server — the tool is fully GDPR-compliant.
How many words fit on a standard UK page?
An A4 page in Times New Roman 12pt with 1.5 line spacing holds approximately 300–350 words — the standard used by most UK universities and publishers.
What is the Flesch readability score?
Flesch Reading Ease scores text from 0 to 100. A score of 60–70 indicates easy-to-read text suitable for a general audience. Academic writing typically scores 30–50. The higher the score, the more accessible the text.