Blog post word counter
Word count with reading time attached, because that is the number your readers see and the one that decides whether they start.
Numbers appear here once you add text.
- Free, no sign-up
- Counts as you type
- Your text never leaves your browser
Length by post type
These ranges describe what the format usually needs, not what ranks. A 900-word post that fully answers its question beats a 2,500-word post that circles it.
| Post type | Typical words | Reading time |
|---|---|---|
| News or update | 300–600 | 1–3 min |
| Opinion / commentary | 800–1,200 | 3–5 min |
| How-to guide | 1,200–2,000 | 5–8 min |
| Listicle | 1,500–2,500 | 6–11 min |
| Complete guide / pillar | 2,500–5,000 | 11–21 min |
| Case study | 1,000–1,800 | 4–8 min |
Formatting decides completion more than length does
Two posts of identical length can have wildly different completion rates. What separates them is structure.
- Paragraphs of two to three sentences. A dense block on a phone screen is a wall.
- A subheading every 300 words or so. Scanners need entry points to re-enter the text.
- Front-loaded answers. Say the thing, then explain it. Do not build to a reveal.
- Something visual every few hundred words. A table, list or image resets attention.
- Sentence variety. A short sentence after two long ones is the cheapest pacing tool there is.
Common questions
How long should a blog post be?
Long enough to answer the question completely. For most posts that lands between 1,000 and 2,000 words, but the query decides. Padding to reach a number reliably makes a post worse.
Does post length affect SEO?
Not directly. Longer posts correlate with better rankings because thorough coverage tends to take more words, not because length is rewarded. Adding words without adding substance does nothing.
Related tools
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- Paragraph counterParagraph totals and average paragraph length.