also: もんじ
Refers to individual symbols of a writing system, such as letters of an alphabet, kanji, kana, or other characters.
How do you read this character?
The alphabet has 26 letters.
writing; written text
Refers to writing as a medium or to written content, often contrasted with speech or images.
It's difficult to explain in writing.
He can't read written text.
I wrote letters on the paper.
It's difficult to put your feelings into words.
It's hard to read such small letters.
I can't read the writing on the old letter.
文字 means 'a character/letter' itself, while 文字数 means 'the number of characters' — easy to mix up since 文字数 contains 文字.
first letter; initial letter; capital initial · initials; initial letters of a name
uppercase letter; capital letter · large character; large writing · the kanji character 大 · Daimonji bonfire; giant 大 character bonfire
lowercase letter · small letter
horizontal script; European writing; Roman letters · European language; Western language
human lettering; forming characters with people
oracle bone script
rice scoop; wooden spoon; ladle
squid (archaic female language)
koi carp · flour
fish; mackerel
sushi (archaic women's language)
garlic (archaic court-lady secret language)
one written character; a single letter or kanji · Welsh onion; spring onion
rounded handwriting; bubble-like characters
two characters; two letters · garlic chives; Chinese chives
five characters; five letters · five-syllable line in poetry; first five syllables of a poem