Character Counter
Count characters, words, lines and UTF-8 bytes. Spaces and line breaks count as characters.
Paste plain text. Results update as you type. Up to 1,000,000 characters.
How to use Character counter
- Type or paste your text. The counts update as you type.
- Read the character total, which includes spaces and line breaks. UTF-8 bytes and code points are counted separately.
- Copy or download your original text when you are done.
What counts as a character?
The main character count measures visible character groups, including emoji sequences and accented letters. Code points and UTF-8 bytes are also shown because different systems measure text differently.
A useful distinction
Spaces and line breaks count as characters. Words follow Unicode word boundaries, and your browser splits Thai, Chinese and Japanese text with its built-in dictionary. Reading time is an estimate at 200 words per minute.
How Character counter works
Paste or type text and Happytails.ai counts it as you type, right in your browser. The main Characters total counts visible character groups (Unicode grapheme clusters), so an emoji sequence or an accented letter counts as one, and spaces and line breaks are included. You also get words, lines, UTF-8 bytes, characters without whitespace, code points and a reading time estimate at 200 words per minute. Input is limited to 1,000,000 characters.
Before you start
Find out which measure your destination uses, such as visible characters, bytes or code points, because they can differ for emoji and accented text.
A worked example
For the text "Hi 👋 Café" the counter shows 9 characters, 2 words, 1 line, 13 UTF-8 bytes, 7 characters without whitespace and 9 code points. The waving hand emoji is 1 character but takes 4 bytes.
What to expect
Count characters, words, lines and UTF-8 bytes. Spaces and line breaks count as characters. Characters are counted as Unicode grapheme clusters, so a combined emoji can count as one. Spaces and line breaks count too. Code points and bytes are separate measures. Check which measure your destination requires.
Try a small example
Hi 👋 Café
Common questions
Does a character count include spaces?
Yes. The main Characters total includes spaces, tabs and line breaks. If you need the count without them, read the characters without whitespace figure under More counts, which skips every character group made only of whitespace.
Why does an emoji count as one character but several bytes?
The Characters total counts what you see as one symbol. Under the hood, an emoji can use several code points and up to 4 UTF-8 bytes per code point. A family emoji built from three people and joiners counts as 1 character but 5 code points and 18 bytes.
How are lines counted?
Lines are counted by splitting on line breaks, and Windows, old Mac and Unix line endings each count once. A final line break creates an extra empty line, so text ending with a line break shows one more line than you might expect. Empty input shows 0 lines.
How is the reading time estimated?
Reading time is the word count divided by 200 words per minute, rounded up to the next whole second. A 1,000 word article shows 5 min 0 sec. Real reading speed varies with the reader and the difficulty of the text, so treat it as a rough guide.
Which number should I use for a database or SMS limit?
It depends on the system. Databases and APIs often limit bytes or code points, while many apps and editors limit visible characters. Plain English text gives the same number for all three, but emoji and accented letters do not, so check the documentation for the limit you need to meet.