Assignment word goal
Set the range your brief asks for and watch the gap close while you write.
Your text stays in your browser.
Track a minimum or maximum word count.
Your text at a glance
Reading and speaking times are estimates.
Assignment goal
Set a minimum, a maximum, or both, and the progress bar appears here.
Paragraph balance
Word ranges exist because length is a proxy for depth. Going under usually means something was left unexplored; going over usually means something was left unedited. Both are worth catching before you submit, not after.
This page keeps the range in front of you while you work, and adds the two things a bare counter leaves out: how many pages that is, and whether your paragraphs are wildly uneven.
How this tool counts
Set a minimum, a maximum, or both. Progress is measured against the minimum when there is one, because that is the target you are working towards; the maximum shows up as an overflow figure once you cross it.
Paragraph balance reports your shortest, longest and average paragraph, and flags any paragraph running more than twice the average. That is a structural observation, not a style judgement: a paragraph three times the length of its neighbours is usually two paragraphs.
Nothing here suggests content. It reports distance from a target — closing the distance is the writing, and that part is yours.
A worked example
A brief asks for 1,500 to 2,000 words. You have written 1,180 across 6 paragraphs.
- Progress towards the minimum
- 79%
- Words remaining
- 320
- Words over the maximum
- 0
- Estimated pages (double-spaced)
- 4.7
- Longest paragraph vs average
- 412 vs 197 words
You are 320 words short, and one paragraph is carrying more than twice its share. Splitting it is likely to be the honest way to find some of those words.
Frequently asked questions
Does a word range usually include the bibliography?
Usually not, and it often excludes footnotes, the abstract and the title page too. Conventions differ between institutions — the brief or the style guide will say, and it is worth checking before you count.
How close to the limit is safe?
Most markers treat a stated range as firm. Landing a little inside the top of the range leaves room for the sentence you add at the last minute without pushing you over.
What does the paragraph flag actually mean?
Only that one paragraph is more than twice your average length. Sometimes that is correct and deliberate. It is flagged because it is usually worth a second look, not because it is wrong.
Will this write the missing words for me?
No. This tool measures and plans; it does not generate, rewrite or complete anything. That is a deliberate product decision, so it stays safe to use on work you have to submit as your own.