Finding Your Word Count in Three Steps

Open the Review tab at the top of your Word document, then click Word Count in the upper right corner. A small box will pop up showing your total words, characters, paragraphs, and lines. Close it by clicking the X. That's the fastest way — it takes five seconds.

If you want the word count to stay visible while you work, you can add it to the status bar at the bottom of your screen. Right-click the status bar (the gray area at the very bottom showing page numbers), select Word Count from the menu, and it will display your running total as you type. You'll see it update in real time without opening any dialog box.

Word also counts automatically as you type. If you've already enabled the status bar option, you can glance down at any moment and see where you stand without interrupting your work.

Key Takeaways

  • The Review tab contains the Word Count button, which opens a box showing words, characters, paragraphs, and lines in seconds.
  • You can add word count to your status bar (the bottom of the screen) so it updates as you type without opening a dialog.
  • Word counts everything in your document by default, including headers, footers, and text boxes — you may need to exclude some manually.
  • The word count box shows you exactly what Word is counting, so you can verify whether it matches what you expected.

What Word Counts and What It Doesn't

Word counts every word in your document by default, including text in headers, footers, text boxes, and footnotes. If you have a title page with just your name and the date, those words still count toward your total. This matters if you're writing an essay with a strict word limit — a 5,000-word requirement might mean 5,000 words of body text, not including the title page.

Numbers and hyphenated words each count as one word. "Twenty-five" is one word, not two. Standalone numbers like "2024" count as one word. Contractions like "don't" and "it's" count as one word each.

If you need to exclude a section — say, your title page or a bibliography — you'll need to delete it temporarily, note your count, then undo the deletion. Word doesn't have a built-in way to count only selected text while keeping the rest of your document intact.

Using Word Count for Different Document Types

For essays and assignments, word count is usually the main metric. Open the word count box before you submit to confirm you've met the requirement. Some schools count differently than others — a few exclude headers and footers, while most include them. Check your assignment sheet or ask your instructor if the number seems off.

For blog posts and articles, you may want to aim for a range rather than an exact number. A 1,500-word article might actually be 1,480 words, and that's fine. The word count box gives you the exact figure so you can decide whether you're close enough.

For manuscripts and books, writers often track word count over time. If you're writing a novel and want to know how much you've written each day, you can check the total at the end of each session and subtract yesterday's number. Some writers keep a separate spreadsheet, but the word count box in Word gives you the raw number to work with.

Why Your Word Count Might Surprise You

Headers, footers, and page numbers add words you might not expect. If your document has "Chapter 1" in the header on every page, that counts. If your footer says "Page 1 of 10," those words count too. This is rarely a problem, but it explains why your count might be slightly higher than you thought.

Text in shapes, callout boxes, and other design elements also counts. If you've added a text box with a quote or a sidebar note, those words are included in your total. Again, this is usually fine — it just means the count reflects everything visible in your document.

Deleted text in Track Changes mode doesn't count toward your total. If you've been revising with Track Changes on, the word count reflects only the text that will remain if you accept all changes. This is helpful for collaborative documents where you're reviewing someone else's edits.

Checking Word Count on Different Devices

On a Mac, the process is identical. Open the Review tab and click Word Count. The dialog box looks the same and shows the same information.

In Word Online (the browser version), click the Review tab, then select Word Count from the ribbon. The box that appears is slightly simpler than the desktop version but shows words and character counts.

On a phone or tablet using Word Mobile, tap the three dots (more options) at the top right, then look for Word Count in the menu. The display is smaller but contains the same data.

Exporting Your Word Count to Other Programs

If you need to share your word count with someone else or keep a record, you can take a screenshot of the word count box. Press Print Screen (Windows) or Command-Shift-4 (Mac), then paste the image into an email or document. This creates a timestamped record of your count.

Some writers copy their word count into a spreadsheet to track progress over weeks or months. You can manually enter the number each day, or if you're using a writing app that syncs with Word, some apps pull the count automatically. For most people, checking the number when you need it is enough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Word count spaces and punctuation?

No. Word counts only words — spaces, commas, periods, and other punctuation don't count. The word count box also shows a separate character count if you need to know how many letters and numbers are in your document, but that's different from word count.

Can I count only part of my document?

Word doesn't have a built-in way to count selected text while keeping the rest of the document. You can select text and copy it into a new document, then check the count there. Some third-party tools offer this feature, but Word's native tool counts the entire document.

Why does my word count keep changing?

If you're editing, the count changes as you add or delete words. If the count seems to jump unexpectedly, check whether you've pasted text from another source — sometimes formatting or hidden characters come along and affect the count. Pasting as plain text (Ctrl-Shift-V on Windows, Command-Shift-Option-V on Mac) can help.

Is there a difference between Word's count and other tools?

Different programs sometimes count differently. Google Docs, for example, counts slightly differently than Word in rare cases. If you're submitting to a platform that has its own word counter, check your count there too. Most of the time the numbers match, but it's worth verifying for important submissions.