How to use the character counter
- Type or paste: paste your text into the box on the left and the numbers on the right update as you type.
- Count a file: drop the HWP, DOCX, PDF or TXT file you wrote in onto the drop zone. The body text is extracted and counted automatically.
- Six numbers are shown: characters with spaces, characters without spaces, bytes (UTF-8), bytes (Korean 2-byte), words and lines.
How each number is counted
Characters with spaces
Spaces and line breaks each count as one character. Most job sites and online application forms in Korea use this rule, so a limit written simply as "1,000 characters" usually means characters with spaces.
Characters without spaces
The number of characters after removing spaces, tabs and line breaks. Some contests, abstracts and publishers use this rule.
Bytes (UTF-8)
UTF-8 is the standard encoding on the web. Latin letters, digits and spaces take 1 byte each, while each Korean syllable takes 3 bytes. Newer application systems and database length limits often follow this rule.
Bytes (Korean 2-byte)
This follows the older EUC-KR encoding: Latin letters, digits and spaces are 1 byte, and each Korean syllable is 2 bytes. Many Korean public institutions and some large companies still use this rule when they say "within N bytes". For example, "안녕하세요 abc" is 5 Korean syllables × 2 + 1 space + 3 letters = 14 bytes.
Checklist before you submit
- Check the rule: see whether the notice says characters or bytes, and with or without spaces. The same text can differ by two or three times depending on the rule.
- Line breaks: some systems count a line break as two characters (CR+LF). If you are close to the limit, remove empty lines between paragraphs.
- Special characters: curly quotes and ellipses auto-inserted by word processors can break in web forms or take more bytes.
- Leave a margin: aim for about 95% of the limit, so differences between counting methods do not cut off your text.
Counting without privacy worries
Cover letters and applications contain sensitive details such as your name, school, career and family. This counter never sends your text or files to a server; everything is counted inside your browser. The related guide explains the difference between counting with spaces and counting bytes in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Do application limits count spaces?
Most job sites count characters with spaces, but rules vary, so always check the wording of the notice.
How many bytes is a Korean character?
3 bytes in UTF-8 and 2 bytes in EUC-KR. Byte limits on Korean public-sector applications are often based on the 2-byte rule.
Can it count an HWP file?
Yes. Drop an HWP, DOCX or PDF file onto the drop zone and the body text is extracted and counted automatically.
Do line breaks count as characters?
This counter counts each line break as one character in the with-spaces count and excludes it from the without-spaces count.