Character count with spaces includes every character in your text—letters, numbers, punctuation, and the spaces between words. Character count without spaces excludes spaces entirely, counting only the non-space characters. Most platform limits (Twitter, Instagram, SMS) use the “with spaces” count, but certain academic and professional contexts require the “without spaces” measurement.

Understanding which metric applies to your situation prevents unpleasant surprises when you hit submit.

Quick Reference: Which Count to Use

When in doubt, “with spaces” is the safer assumption for most modern platform limits.

Word to Character Conversion Table

Quick formula: Characters with spaces ≈ Words x 5.5-6

Understanding the Difference

Example text: “Hello, how are you today?”

With spaces: 25 characters

• H-e-l-l-o-,-[space]-h-o-w-[space]-a-r-e-[space]-y-o-u-[space]-t-o-d-a-y-?
• Every space counts as 1 character

Without spaces: 21 characters

• Only the letters and punctuation
• The 4 spaces are excluded

For short text, this 4-character difference seems small. For longer content, the gap widens significantly—a 1,000-character piece might have 150-200 spaces.

When Character Count WITH Spaces Matters

Social Media Platforms

Every major social platform counts spaces:

Twitter/X (280 characters): Your tweet “Check out this amazing article!” uses 31 characters, including the 4 spaces. At 280 characters, every space matters.

Instagram (2,200 characters for captions): Spaces give your caption readability. Don’t sacrifice clarity to save characters on a platform with generous limits.

LinkedIn (3,000 characters for posts): Professional content benefits from proper spacing. Use your characters wisely but don’t eliminate spaces.

SMS Messaging

Standard SMS: 160 characters with spaces Unicode SMS (emojis): 70 characters with spaces

Text messaging is where character limits first became mainstream. Every space counts, which is why abbreviations like “u” for “you” and “r” for “are” emerged.

SEO Meta Descriptions

Optimal length: 150-160 characters including spaces

Search engines display your meta description based on pixel width, but character count (with spaces) remains the practical guideline. Space allows readable, scannable text.

Form Field Limits

Most web forms with character limits count spaces:

• Contact forms
• Application text fields
• Comment sections
• Bio fields

If a field says “500 characters maximum,” include spaces in your count.

When Character Count WITHOUT Spaces Matters

Translation and Localization

Many translation agencies price by characters without spaces because:

1. Word counts don’t translate: “house” (1 word) becomes “maison” (1 word) in French but “房子” (2 characters) in Chinese
2. Spaces vary by language: Some Asian languages don’t use spaces between words
3. Consistent measurement: Characters without spaces provides comparable volume across languages

Example pricing:

• English source: 10,000 characters (without spaces)
• Translation rate: $0.10 per character
• Cost: $1,000

European Academic Requirements

Some European universities and academic journals specify “characters without spaces” (sometimes called “Zeichen ohne Leerzeichen” in German or “caractères hors espaces” in French):

Common academic limits:

• Abstract: 2,000 characters without spaces
• Paper: 40,000 characters without spaces
• Thesis chapter: 50,000 characters without spaces

Always verify the requirement—assuming the wrong measurement can cause your submission to be rejected.

Technical and Programming Contexts

Identifiers and variable names: In programming, variable names can’t contain spaces, so “without spaces” is the only relevant measurement.

Database field definitions: VARCHAR limits in databases count actual characters stored, spaces included when present—but many technical fields prohibit spaces entirely.

How to Calculate Both Counts

Manual Calculation

With spaces: Count everything Without spaces: Count everything, then subtract the number of spaces

For a quick estimate on character count without spaces:

• Average English text has 15-20% spaces
• Multiply “with spaces” count by 0.82 for approximate “without spaces”

Using Tools

Google Docs: Tools → Word count shows:

• “Characters” (without spaces)
• “Characters including spaces” (with spaces)

Microsoft Word: Review → Word Count shows:

• “Characters (no spaces)”
• “Characters (with spaces)”

Online tools: Character counters typically display both measurements simultaneously, making comparison easy.

Impact on Writing Strategy

When Spaces Count (Most Platforms)

Writing efficiently:

• Use contractions (“don’t” vs “do not” saves 2 characters)
• Choose shorter synonyms when possible
• Remove unnecessary spaces (double spaces, space before punctuation)

But prioritize clarity: Don’t sacrifice readability just to save spaces. If you have a 2,200-character limit, proper spacing is worth it.

When Spaces Don’t Count (Academic/Translation)

Writing style:

• Space usage doesn’t inflate your count
• Focus on word choice and content density
• Line breaks and formatting don’t affect your character count

However: Your text still needs to be readable. Just because spaces aren’t counted doesn’t mean you should remove them.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Assuming all platforms are the same Twitter’s 280-character limit works differently than a translation project’s 10,000-character quote request.

Mistake 2: Not checking before writing If you write to the wrong measurement, you might deliver 15-20% too much or too little content.

Mistake 3: Manually counting spaces Use tools. Manual counting is error-prone and unnecessary when free counters exist.

Mistake 4: Conflating character count with word count These are different metrics. A word count requirement doesn’t tell you about characters, and vice versa.

The Math: How Much Do Spaces Add?

Space frequency varies by language and writing style:

English: Approximately 15-20% of characters are spaces

• 1,000 characters with spaces ≈ 800-850 characters without spaces

German: Approximately 12-15% (longer compound words mean fewer spaces)

• 1,000 characters with spaces ≈ 850-880 characters without spaces

Technical writing: Approximately 10-15% (more abbreviations and compound terms)

• 1,000 characters with spaces ≈ 850-900 characters without spaces

Creative writing: Approximately 18-22% (more dialogue, shorter sentences)

• 1,000 characters with spaces ≈ 780-820 characters without spaces

Frequently Asked Questions

Which character count do most platforms use?

Most platforms use characters with spaces. This includes Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, SMS, and most web forms.

Why do translation companies use “without spaces”?

It provides consistent measurement across languages. Some languages (like Chinese and Japanese) don’t use spaces between words, so counting spaces would create unfair comparisons.

If my limit is 1,000 characters, how many words is that?

With spaces: approximately 150-180 words (depending on word length) Without spaces: approximately 180-210 words

Do tabs count as spaces?

Tabs are typically counted as 1 character in “with spaces” counts but excluded from “without spaces” counts like regular spaces.

What about line breaks?

Line breaks (Enter/Return) are usually counted separately from spaces, often as 1-2 characters. They typically appear in “with spaces” counts.

Can spaces affect SEO or readability scores?

Spaces don’t directly affect SEO rankings, but proper spacing improves readability, which can improve engagement metrics that do affect SEO.

Key Takeaways

• “Characters with spaces” is the standard for social media, SMS, and most platform limits
• “Characters without spaces” is common in translation, European academics, and some specialized fields
• The difference between measurements is typically 15-20% of total characters
• Always verify which measurement applies before writing to a specific limit
• Use a character counter that displays both metrics to avoid confusion

Conclusion

Whether spaces count depends entirely on context. For everyday digital communication—tweets, posts, texts—spaces count and every character matters. For translation projects and certain academic submissions, you’ll use the “without spaces” measurement. Understanding the distinction helps you write efficiently for any platform or requirement. Try our free letter counter → to see both measurements instantly for any text you’re working on.