Count Words in a File
Open a text file with the picker and read its word and character totals; the file is read on your device, not uploaded.
Count Words in a File is a browser-based text tool on TextToolsBase. Open a text file with the picker and read its word and character totals; the file is read on your device, not uploaded. To use it, paste or type your text and view the result directly in your browser — no signup and nothing to install.
When the text you need to measure is sitting in a file, retyping or pasting it is awkward, and uploading it to a website is often not an option.
Count Words in a File lets you open the file straight from your device with the picker and reads it locally, so you get the word and character totals without anything leaving your browser.
How to use Count Words in a File
- Choose a .txt, .md, .csv or .log file with the file picker above.
- Confirm the loaded file name and check the word and character totals.
- If you have no file handy, paste text into the editor instead.
Use cases
- Counting the words in a plain-text manuscript or chapter file.
- Measuring notes kept in a Markdown or .md file.
- Checking the size of a CSV or log export before you work on it.
Good to know
The browser FileReader opens the file on your device and never uploads it. Plain-text formats such as .txt, .md, .csv and .log are read directly; rich formats like PDF or DOCX are not plain text, so their contents are not parsed here. Words are runs of letters and numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Which file types can I open?
Plain-text files such as .txt, .md, .csv and .log. The picker reads them directly in the browser.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The file is read locally with the browser FileReader, so its contents stay on your device.
Why will my PDF or Word file not count correctly?
Those are not plain text. This tool reads plain-text files; export to .txt first, or paste the text in.