Word count and character count
Match the limit you were given: words, characters, or characters without spaces are three different numbers.
Short answer
Words are chunks separated by spaces. Characters count every symbol, and a second character count can ignore spaces. Read the limit before you pick a number.
Three counters, one box of text
“one two” is two words, seven characters, and six characters once the space is removed. A hyphenated word stays one word in this counter. An emoji or a punctuation mark counts as a character and does not, by itself, split words unless spaces do.
Markdown, HTML tags, and citation lines count if they are in the box. If the assignment wants the essay only, delete the extras first. The counter does not know which words are yours.
Common mistakes
- Comparing a 500-word limit with a 500-character count.
Frequently asked questions
- Do line breaks count as words?
- A line break separates words. It is whitespace, like a space.