Tokens to characters converter
One token is about 4 characters — convert exactly.
Convert tokens to characters (or characters back to tokens) with the standard English planning ratios, plus the honest range around them.
Free · no sign-upCalculations run in your browser.Pricing registry reviewed Aug 16, 2026
Convert from
The 4-characters rule
Divide characters by 4 to estimate English tokens: a 2,000-character email is ~500 tokens. The honest range is 3–5 characters per token depending on vocabulary and style.
Where it breaks
Code runs closer to 3 characters per token; URLs, numbers, and rare names split aggressively. CJK text can cost a token per character or more.
From characters to cost
characters ÷ 4 gives tokens; tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × the per-million price gives cost. The prompt calculator runs the full chain on your real text.
Plain-English answers
Questions people ask before using the result
How many characters are in one token?
About 4 characters including spaces for ordinary English, with a realistic range of 3–5. Common short words are a single token; rare words and numbers split into more pieces.
How many tokens is 1,000 characters?
Roughly 250 tokens for clean English prose (range 200–333). Code typically lands closer to 300–350.
How do I convert characters to tokens exactly?
Run the text through a real tokenizer — the prompt calculator and tokenizer playground count with the actual o200k vocabulary in your browser.