Word Counter for Writers: What This Page Counts
Writers need a word and character total they can explain. Docify counts whitespace-delimited tokens, string-length characters, sentences split on ASCII [.!?]+, paragraphs split on LF only (/\\n+), and Math.ceil(words / 200) minutes — all in the browser. Ideographic 。 does not start a new sentence, so 你好。世界。 is 1 sentence. A lone CR splits words but not paragraphs. It is not a ranked list of other products and not Word’s tokenizer.
Briefs, invoices, and chapter goals all hang on a count. This page describes the Docify word counter so you know what you are measuring. It is not a comparison chart and it does not invent ratings for other tools.
What the page actually reports
Live totals as you type
Six tiles update on each change: words, characters, characters without whitespace, sentences, paragraphs, and minutes to read. There is no average word length and no exclude-headings toggle.
A simple word rule
Words are trim() then split(/\s+/). That is easy to re-check in a console. It is also why CJK without spaces counts as one word. Details are in the counting guide.
Reading time for a byline
Minutes use 200 words per minute and always ceil. See the reading-time article if you need a different rate.
Drafts stay on the device
The counter is a static page. Unpublished fiction or client copy is not uploaded. There is no account and no save-to-cloud button.
Limits that matter for writers
Not a manuscript app
There is no chapter list, daily goal tracker, or billed-word export. Paste a slice of the draft when you need a number, then copy it back to your editor.
Sentences can over-count or under-count
A period in Dr., e.g., or 3.14 starts a new sentence chunk. The split is ASCII [.!?]+ only, so ideographic 。 and fullwidth ？ / ！ do not: 你好。世界。 is 1 sentence. A string with no terminator, such as Hello, is 1 sentence; ??? is 0. Use the sentence tile as a rough check, not as a grammar pass. Paragraphs split on LF only (/\n+/). hello\nworld is 2 paragraphs; hello\rworld is 2 words and 1 paragraph. hello\r\nworld is 2 paragraphs because leftover CR is trimmed. This is not a Unicode paragraph tokenizer.
Billing and school rules
If you are paid per word or an assignment names Microsoft Word, treat Docify as a local preview. Re-count in the software the other party will use before you invoice or submit.
Typical jobs this counter fits
Blog and freelance copy
Paste a post to see whether you are near a 1,500–2,500 word brief and what the 200 WPM label would say. Character totals help with titles and meta descriptions.
Academic drafts
Use it while drafting. Confirm the final count in the formatter your course names if they specify one.
Short social text
The character tiles are the useful ones here. Platform remaining-count UIs (for example 280 on X) are not built into this page.
Count a draft in the browser
Whitespace words, string-length characters, [.!?] sentences. Nothing is uploaded.
Use Word Counter →FAQ
- Do hyphenated words count as one word or two?
- On Docify they count as one token whenever there is no space around the hyphen. twenty-one is one word because the split is only on whitespace, not because the tool has special hyphen rules. The same rule makes CJK with no spaces, such as 你好世界, one word.
- Do contractions count as one word or two?
- One word. don't and I'll contain no whitespace, so they stay a single token after the /\s+/ split. Publishers and schools may use a different rule in their own software.
- Will this match Microsoft Word or Google Docs?
- Not always. Those apps use their own tokenizers and can treat hyphens, numbers, or hidden characters differently. Docify only reports a trim plus whitespace split, plus the other totals described on this page.
- Does the writer’s draft leave the browser?
- No. Paste or type in the textarea. Counts update locally. The page does not upload unpublished work.