Free tool · private
Word & readability counter
Counts, reading time and readability — plus the register and sentence-length suggestions from our writing checker, because a word count on its own rarely tells you anything useful.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored or sent anywhere.
Statistics
- Words
- 0
- Sentences
- 0
- Avg sentence
- 0 words
- Longest sentence
- 0 words
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Reading grade
- —
Suggestions
Paste text on the left and suggestions appear here as you type.
Short answer
How long should my assignment be?
Follow your brief, and stay within 10% of the stated limit unless your handbook says otherwise. As a general guide: undergraduate essays run 1,500–3,000 words, advanced modules 3,000–5,000, a master’s dissertation 12,000–20,000, and a literature review about 20–30% of the total. Reference lists and appendices are usually excluded from the count while in-text citations are included — but confirm that in your own handbook.
Step by step
How to check length and readability before you submit
Paste the draft
Word, sentence and paragraph counts, reading time and Flesch reading ease are computed in your browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded.
Compare the count against your brief
Most institutions allow ±10% of the stated limit and penalise beyond it. Some stop reading at the limit instead, which costs more than a penalty — check your handbook, because this genuinely varies.
Decide what actually counts
Reference lists, appendices and often footnotes are usually excluded while in-text citations are included. Confirm it in the handbook rather than assuming, because a wrong assumption here is a self-inflicted penalty.
Read the Flesch score in context
Academic prose normally scores 30-50 and reads as 'difficult'. That is expected for a specialist audience. A score below 30 almost always means sentences are too long, not that the ideas are too complex.
Cut the longest sentences first
Sentence length is the single biggest lever on readability. Splitting the three longest sentences usually moves the score more than rewriting a whole paragraph.
Worked example
What the counter reports
A real academic paragraph, analysed by the tool above when this page was built. The count is the easy half; the sentence average and the reading ease are the numbers that tell you whether a marker will follow you.
Reflective writing asks a different question of the student than a standard essay does. An essay is judged on the strength of an argument about something external; a reflection is judged on the quality of the reasoning a student applies to their own practice. The most common failure is proportion. A reflection that spends most of its length narrating what happened, and only its final paragraph considering what that means for future practice, has answered the easier question. Markers using Gibbs or Rolfe expect the description stage to be the shortest, not the longest, part of the piece.
- Words
- 98
- Sentences
- 5
- Avg sentence
- 19.6 words
- Longest
- 30 words
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Reading ease
- 52.3
A Flesch reading ease of 52.3 reads as fairly difficult — typical undergraduate, at roughly US grade 10.8. For academic prose that is where you want to be — a much higher score usually means the argument has been flattened, and a much lower one usually means the sentences have run away.
| Assignment | Usual word count | What the count usually hides |
|---|---|---|
| Reflective piece | 800–1,500 | Description should be the shortest section, not the longest |
| Undergraduate essay | 1,500–3,000 | Roughly 200 words per body paragraph, so 5–7 paragraphs of argument |
| Lab or technical report | 1,500–2,500 | Method and results carry the marks; discussion is where students under-write |
| Advanced module essay | 3,000–5,000 | Expect a literature position, not just a literature summary |
| Literature review chapter | 3,000–6,000 | Synthesis by theme; a source-by-source list reads as a reading log |
| Undergraduate dissertation | 8,000–12,000 | Typically five chapters, with methodology the most commonly under-length |
| Master’s dissertation | 12,000–20,000 | Reference list and appendices are usually excluded from the count |
| Score | Band | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy | Below the register expected in academic writing |
| 60–70 | Plain English | Right for a reflective piece or a public-facing report |
| 50–60 | Fairly difficult | Comfortable for most undergraduate coursework |
| 30–50 | Difficult | Normal for academic prose and specialist readers |
| Below 30 | Very difficult | Usually sentence length rather than complexity of thought |
Frequently asked questions
How long is an essay?
University essays are typically 1,500–3,000 words at undergraduate level and 3,000–5,000 for advanced modules. Master's dissertations usually run 12,000–20,000 words. Always follow your own brief — these are conventions, not rules.
Can I go over the word limit?
Most institutions allow ±10% and penalise beyond it; some simply stop reading at the limit, which is worse than a penalty. Check your handbook, because the rule genuinely varies.
Does the reference list count toward the word limit?
Usually not — reference lists, appendices and often footnotes are excluded, while in-text citations are included. This varies by institution, so confirm it in your module handbook rather than assuming.
What is a good Flesch reading ease score for academic writing?
Academic prose typically scores 30–50, which reads as 'difficult' — that is normal and expected for a specialist audience. Below 30 usually signals sentences that are too long rather than ideas that are too complex.