4 min read

Character Count vs Word Count

When to count characters, when to count words, and why the difference matters.

When characters matter

SMS, tweets, meta descriptions, and SEO titles are all capped by character limits — not word limits.

When words matter

Essays, blog posts, and book manuscripts are almost always specified in words because reading time scales with word count.

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Words of a Chimp

Free word counter. Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, and reading time.

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Frequently asked questions

Usually yes, but Words of a Chimp shows both 'with spaces' and 'without spaces' so you can match the rule you need.
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