Tally Counter
Click the big +1 button, or tap the space bar, to count up. Add as many named counters as you need, watch the running total, and come back later: your counts are saved in your browser. Use it for laps, attendance, birds spotted or the filler words in a speech. Free, no sign-up.
Keyboard shortcut: press Space to add 1 to the selected (highlighted) counter. The shortcut is ignored while typing in a text field.
0
1
Counters
0
Total across counters
Counter 1
Selected counter
How to Use the Tally Counter
- 1. Count. Press the large +1 button on a counter, or press the space bar to add one to the selected counter. The card with the highlighted border is the selected one.
- 2. Correct mistakes. −1 takes one off, but never below zero, and Reset returns that counter to zero. Neither asks you to confirm.
- 3. Add counters. Add Counter creates a new one, named Counter 2, Counter 3 and so on, and selects it. Type in a counter's name box to rename it, and use Remove to delete one; the last counter cannot be removed.
- 4. Read the totals. Below the cards you see the number of counters, the total across all of them, and the name of the selected counter.
About the space bar
The shortcut works anywhere on the page except inside a text box or on a button you have tabbed to. Renaming a counter never adds a count, and with a button focused the space bar presses that button, so +1 adds one rather than two. While you are on this page the space bar no longer scrolls it. Each press counts once; holding the key down does not repeat.
Saving and Privacy
The counters, their names and their counts are written to your browser's local storage each time they change, and read back when you reopen the page. They stay on this device: nothing is sent to CitationEasy. Because of that, they do not follow you to another browser or device, a private window will not keep them, and clearing the site's data deletes them. If a count matters, write the number down.
From Tally to Data
Counting is the first step of a simple investigation, and a few extra steps turn a pile of counts into something you can report. Give each category its own counter, count while you observe, then convert the totals to proportions and rates.
Example: filler words in a 7-minute talk
Counters
um 14, like 9, you know 5
Total
14 + 9 + 5 = 28
Share of the total
um 14 ÷ 28 = 50%, like 9 ÷ 28 ≈ 32.1%, you know 5 ÷ 28 ≈ 17.9%
Rate
28 ÷ 7 minutes = 4 filler words per minute
The rate needs a time, which you can take from the Stopwatch. If the data is already text, the Filler Word Finder and the Word Frequency Counter count for you. To tabulate several categories with cumulative and relative frequencies, enter the totals in the Frequency Distribution Calculator.
Counting Accurately
- Decide the rule first. Write down exactly what counts, such as "each person who passes the door, in either direction", before you begin.
- One counter per category. Mixing categories in one number cannot be undone later.
- Keep your eyes on what you are counting. Count with the keyboard so you can look at the event instead of the button.
- For attendance and crowds, count twice. Two independent counts that differ by only a little give you confidence in the total.
- Note the start and end time. A count with no time attached cannot become a rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I use the tally counter?
- Press the +1 button to count up, or press the space bar to add one to the selected counter. Use −1 to step back down and Reset to return a counter to zero. Add more counters if you are tracking several things.
- Can I count several things at once?
- Yes. Add Counter creates as many counters as you like, each with its own editable name. The total across all counters is shown below them. Only one counter, the selected one, responds to the space bar.
- Which counter does the space bar increment?
- The selected counter, shown with a highlighted border. Choose it with its Select radio button; pressing a counter's +1 button also selects it, and a newly added counter is selected automatically. The shortcut is ignored while you type in a text box.
- Will my counts survive a reload?
- Yes, in the same browser on the same device. The counters are saved in local storage and restored when you reopen the page. They will not appear on another device, in a private window, or after you clear the site's data.
- Is there a limit to how high it counts?
- The page sets no limit. It adds whole numbers one at a time, so you will reach the ordinary limits of your browser's numbers long after any real counting job is finished.
- What can I use a tally counter for?
- Anything you count by hand: laps, attendance, stock, birds seen, repetitions, filler words, votes or points in a casual game. Named counters keep several categories separate, and the total adds them up.