Word Frequency Counter
See every unique word in your text ranked by frequency. Check vocabulary variety with TTR and hapax counts, filter and sort the list, and export it as CSV or TXT.
How to use the word frequency counter
Paste your text into the editor. The word list populates instantly, sorted by frequency by default. Use the sort dropdown to switch to alphabetical order. Type in the filter box to search for a specific word. Toggle stop words off to hide filler words and focus on meaningful vocabulary. Export the full list when you're done.
How word frequency is calculated
The text is split on whitespace, punctuation is stripped from each token, and empty results are filtered out. Each clean token is counted and accumulated into a frequency map. Case-insensitive mode converts all tokens to lowercase before counting, so “The” and “the” are treated as the same word. The Vocabulary Insights panel calculates TTR as unique words ÷ total words × 100.
Why word frequency matters for writers
Repetition is often invisible to the writer but jarring for the reader. Seeing your frequency list reveals patterns you can't spot while drafting. If “however” appears 14 times in a 500-word essay, that's something you'd want to vary. The word length distribution chart helps gauge whether your vocabulary skews complex (long words) or accessible (short words) for your target audience.
Frequently asked questions
What is word frequency analysis used for?
Writers use it to catch overused words — the ones you don't notice until a reader points them out. Paste a chapter draft and immediately see if 'just', 'really', 'very', or 'that' are appearing 30+ times. Content editors use it to verify that target keywords are distributed through a piece rather than front-loaded. Researchers use it to analyse linguistic patterns in corpora. It's also useful for translators and proofreaders checking consistency of terminology.
What is a type-token ratio (TTR)?
Type-token ratio is unique words ÷ total words, expressed as a percentage. A TTR of 100% means every word in the text appears exactly once — impossible for long texts. A TTR of 40–60% is typical for long-form prose; below 30% often indicates repetitive writing. Short texts always have artificially high TTRs, so compare TTR between texts of similar length. The Vocabulary Insights panel shows your TTR alongside a rating label.
What are hapax legomena?
Hapax legomena (or just 'hapax') are words that appear exactly once in a text. A high hapax count relative to total vocabulary suggests rich, varied writing. A very low hapax count (most words appear multiple times) suggests a limited vocabulary or a text built from repeated concepts — common in legal documents, technical specifications, or very short texts.
How do I find words I'm overusing in my writing?
Paste your draft and sort by Count (highest first). Ignore stop words — toggle them off. Look at words in the top 10 that aren't your actual topic keywords. Common culprits: 'just' (weakens statements), 'very' and 'really' (filler intensifiers), 'that' (often deletable), 'thing' (vague), 'get/got' (weak verbs). Then use the Find field to highlight each in the main text area so you can see exactly where they occur.
Does word frequency analysis work for SEO?
Yes, as a sanity check. After writing a piece, run it through the frequency counter with stop words off. Your primary keyword and its close variants should appear in the top 5–10 results. If your target term doesn't appear in the top 20, the content probably doesn't cover the topic with enough depth. If one keyword dominates at 5%+ and nothing else is above 1%, the piece is probably too narrow or repetitive.
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