How to Check Word Count in Word and Google Docs

How to check word count in Word

Word counts the words while you type. Microsoft Support describes where to find the numbers.

1. Look at the status bar at the bottom of the Word window. It shows the number of words in the document.
2. Click the word count in the status bar. A box opens with more numbers.
3. Read the numbers and close the box.

How to count the words of a selection in Word

1. Select the part of the text you want to count.
2. Look at the status bar again.

According to Microsoft Support, the status bar then shows the word count for the selection and for the whole document, for example 120 of 1,450 words. This is the quick way to check one section of an essay.

How to check word count in Google Docs

Google Docs does not show the count by default. Google Docs Editors Help gives these steps for a computer.

1. Open the document.
2. Click Tools at the top, then Word count.
3. A window shows the number of pages, words and characters.
4. Click Done to close it.

To count a part of the document, select it first and open the window again. Only the selection is then counted.

How to show the word count while typing in Google Docs

1. Open Tools, then Word count.
2. Tick Display word count while typing.
3. Click OK.

A small box then stays in the bottom left corner of the document. Click it to switch between pages, words, characters and characters without spaces.

What the word count leaves out

A word count is not always the count of everything on the page. Google states its rule clearly: the count of the whole document does not include headers, footers and footnotes.

If a teacher or an editor gives a limit, ask whether footnotes, the title and the list of sources count. The rule differs from place to place, and no program can know it.

Why two word counters give different numbers

Two counters can differ by a few words on the same text because each one has its own rule for what a word is.

• Hyphens and dashes. Our counter splits words at spaces, so "well-known" is one word. A counter that also splits at hyphens counts two.
• Text outside the body. Footnotes, headers and text boxes may be in one count and not in the other.
• Symbols that stand alone. A dash or a bullet with spaces around it is counted as a word by a counter that splits at spaces.
• Languages without spaces. Chinese, Japanese and Thai are written without spaces between words, so a counter based on spaces gives a number that is too low.

A difference of a few words in a thousand is normal. When a limit is strict, use the counter of the person who checks it.

How to check word count without Word or Docs

For text that is not in a document, such as an email, a form answer or a post, a word count tool in the browser is quicker than opening a program.

1. Paste the text in the box.
2. Read Words and Characters in the Count panel.
3. Scroll to the other numbers: sentences, paragraphs, lines, reading time and speaking time.

The text is counted inside your browser and is not sent to our server. To turn the number of words into pages, see the guide on words per page.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the word count in Word?

In the status bar at the bottom of the window. Click it to see characters, paragraphs and lines as well.

What is the shortcut for word count in Google Docs?

Ctrl+Shift+C on a Windows PC and Command+Shift+C on a Mac.

Does the Google Docs word count include footnotes?

No. Google states that the count of the whole document leaves out headers, footers and footnotes.

How do I count the words of one paragraph?

Select the paragraph. Word then shows the count of the selection in the status bar. In Google Docs, open Tools and Word count after selecting.

Why does my word count differ between two programs?

Each program has its own rule for what a word is, for example for words with a hyphen, and for what text it leaves out, such as footnotes.