Respecting a word count for an essay, cleaning a list of duplicate emails, spotting what changed between two versions of a contract, turning a title into a web address: we handle text every day, and a few well-chosen tools save considerable time. This guide explains what each does, its lesser-known details and its limits.
Counting words and estimating reading time
Word Counter shows live the words, characters, sentences and paragraphs of what you type or paste, with no button to press. Reading time is estimated at 230 words per minute and speaking time at 130 words per minute: a 1,000-word text is therefore read in about 4.3 minutes and spoken in about 7.7 minutes. These are averages: technical text reads more slowly.
Counting works for Latin, Arabic, Cyrillic and other scripts, thanks to the browser's built-in word segmentation. One point of caution: each tool or program counts slightly differently (hyphens, numbers, URLs). If an institution imposes a limit, check how it counts and keep a margin.
Changing case without mistakes
Change Text Case offers ten modes: UPPERCASE, lowercase, Title, Sentence, camelCase, PascalCase, snake_case, CONSTANT_CASE, kebab-case and inverted case. For code, each line is handled separately and existing identifiers are split: myHTTPServer becomes my_http_server.
- Turkish distinguishes i and ı. Tick “Turkish rules” so that i becomes İ and I becomes ı; without it, generic rules apply.
- German: “ß” becomes “SS” in uppercase, as JavaScript does.
- Arabic, Hebrew and Chinese have no letter case: those letters stay unchanged and a notice reminds you.
Removing duplicates from a list
Paste a list (emails, keywords, addresses, names) into Remove Duplicate Lines: every line identical to an earlier one is removed and the first occurrence stays in place. By default extra spaces are ignored and empty lines removed; case matters, but you can untick it so “Abc” and “abc” count as a duplicate. Three modes: keep each line once, keep only lines that appear a single time, or extract only the lines that are repeated. The table at the bottom shows which lines are repeated and how many times; A → Z sorting is numeric (“9” before “10”).
Comparing two texts
Text Diff Checker highlights every addition (green) and deletion (red) between an original text and a modified one. Three levels of detail: by lines (the usual code view), by words (proofreading an article) or by characters (a typo, a changed digit). The display can be side by side, with changed words highlighted inside the lines, or unified, like a patch, with three lines of context; the line difference downloads as a .diff file. The “ignore whitespace” and “ignore case” options set aside unimportant differences. For very large texts the calculation is capped at 1.5 seconds: the tab does not freeze and a notice tells you.
A useful use: comparing two versions of a contract or terms and conditions to see exactly what changed, rather than relying on a summary.
Practical tips
- Keep the original before any mass change of case or duplicates.
- For an essay, count with the institution's method, and proofread after removing duplicates from a list: the line kept is always the first.
- To compare two versions, start with the “words” level; move to “characters” if a tiny difference escapes you.
- For a slug, prefer short, stable addresses: changing the address of a published page breaks old links.
Common mistakes
- Uppercasing Turkish text without the Turkish rules, which gives “I” instead of “İ”.
- Assuming two visually identical lines are duplicates: a trailing space or different case tells them apart (set the options).
- Comparing two texts copied from sources with different line endings and concluding everything changed: turn on “ignore whitespace”.
- Changing the slug of an already indexed page without a redirect.
Honest limits
- Reading time is an average, not an individual measurement.
- Transliteration of Arabic without vowels is approximate; proofread important addresses.
- “Title” case follows general rules, without knowing each language's conventions (small words not to capitalise).
- Your text stays in your browser, never sent, but remember to copy the result before closing the page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to read 1,000 words?
About 4.3 minutes at 230 words per minute, and about 7.7 minutes aloud at 130 words per minute.
Is my text sent to a server?
No. It stays in your browser; it is neither sent nor saved.
Why does “ß” become “SS”?
It is German's uppercase rule, applied as JavaScript does.
Which line is kept when there are duplicates?
The first occurrence stays in place; later ones are removed.
How do I compare two versions of a Word document?
Copy each version's text into Text Diff Checker. The “words” level highlights the changes.