Word counts look simple — until you realize Microsoft Word, Twitter, and your CMS each count differently. Knowing which definition applies saves arguments and rejection emails.
How words are counted
Most tools split on whitespace, so 'don't' is one word but 'state-of-the-art' is one or three depending on hyphen handling. Our counter uses whitespace-splitting to match Microsoft Word.
Characters: with or without spaces?
Twitter counts characters including spaces and emoji weight. SMS counts bytes, which means a single emoji can take 2–4 'characters'. Always check the platform's exact rule.
Reading time math
Industry standard is 200–250 words per minute for adult readers. Technical content reads slower (~180 WPM); fiction reads faster (~280 WPM).