Free writing tool
TCF Canada and TEF Canada word counter
Pick your exam and task, then write or paste your French text. The counter checks it live against the official word limits, times you with the real section time and saves your draft on this device.
Message : décrire, raconter, expliquer · 60 minutes for all three tasks together
0 words
60–120 words
Start writing. Target: 60–120 words.
Drafts are saved on this device only, one per task.
Official limits
Word limits for every TCF and TEF writing task
The TCF Canada sets a minimum and a maximum for each task. The TEF Canada sets minimums only. Time is shared on the TCF and set per section on the TEF.
| Exam | Task | What you write | Words | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCF Canada | 1 | Message : décrire, raconter, expliquer | 60–120 | 60 min for all 3 tasks |
| 2 | Article, courrier ou note : compte rendu avec opinions | 120–150 | 60 min for all 3 tasks | |
| 3 | Comparer deux points de vue et donner son avis | 120–180 | 60 min for all 3 tasks | |
| TEF Canada | A | Écrire la suite d’un article | 80 minimum, no maximum | 25 min |
| B | Exprimer son point de vue et le justifier | 200 minimum, no maximum | 35 min |
On the TCF, a task outside its range can be rated “A1 non atteint”, the lowest result, whatever the quality of the French. On the TEF, there is no maximum, but a longer text has more room for mistakes.
Counting method
How words are counted
France Éducation international, which runs the TCF, defines a word in its official sample as “tout ensemble de signes placé entre deux espaces”: anything between two spaces. This counter follows that rule.
| You write | Counts as | Why |
|---|---|---|
| un bon sujet | 3 words | The official example: three groups between spaces. |
| c’est-à-dire | 1 word | The official example: hyphens don't split a word. |
| l’homme, j’ai, qu’il | 1 word each | No space after the apostrophe, so an elision stays one word. |
| aujourd’hui, peut-être | 1 word each | Same rule: no space inside. |
| 2026, 15,5 | 1 word each | A number between spaces is a group of signs. |
| Bonjour ! | 1 word | French puts a space before ! ? : ;. We don't count a sign that stands alone. |
Le français des affaires, which runs the TEF Canada, doesn't publish a counting rule. Since the TEF only sets minimums, aim comfortably above them (around 100 words for section A, 220 to 250 for section B) so a different count can't put you short.
Exam software and markers may count slightly differently. Stay a few words inside the TCF limits instead of writing exactly the minimum or the maximum.
Last verified Oct 5, 2026Sources:France Éducation international: TCF Canada(opens in a new tab)Le français des affaires: TEF Canada tests(opens in a new tab)
Independent tool, not affiliated with IRCC. Confirm on canada.ca before you apply.
Plan your words
How to plan words per paragraph
Counting at the end is too late. Decide before you write how many words each paragraph gets, then check as you go.
Know your range before you start
TCF task 1 is 60 to 120 words, task 2 is 120 to 150 and task 3 is 120 to 180. TEF section A needs at least 80 and section B at least 200. Aim for the middle of a TCF range, never the edge.
Give each paragraph one job
A greeting, a story, an opinion, an argument: one idea per paragraph keeps the count easy to manage and the text easy to follow. The counter shows your words per paragraph next to our plan.
Split TCF task 3 in two parts
Summarise the two documents briefly (about 40 to 60 words together), then spend most of your words on your own position (about 80 to 120). This split comes from an older official candidate manual, so treat it as a guide.
On the TEF, write enough for three arguments
Section B asks for at least three arguments to defend your point of view. Three short paragraphs of about 50 words each, plus an opening and a conclusion, take you safely past 200.
Check length after every paragraph
Under exam conditions you won't have time to cut 40 words at the end. Glance at the count after each paragraph and adjust the next one.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Write a full timed paper
Counting words is step one. Take a free mock writing test under exam conditions and get feedback on every task.
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