Word how to find word count

I know what you’re thinking: “What’s there to learn about the word count in Microsoft Word? The number is right there at the bottom of the screen!” And that is true. Unless you’ve changed your default settings, the count always appears in the left-hand side of the status bar below your document. But Word’s word count tool can do more than provide the total number of words.

This tutorial shows you (1) how to count words in specific sections and (2) how to open the Word Count dialog box to see additional statistics such as character counts with and without spaces, as well as how to exclude textboxes, footnotes, and endnotes from the count.

And don’t miss the bonus section featuring keyboard shortcuts for selecting text in Word and other Windows applications.

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps also apply to Word 2021, Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and most earlier versions of Word. However, your interface may look slightly different in older versions.

How to View the Word Count for Specific Sections

To view the number of words in a specific sentence, paragraph, page, or section, select only that text. (See the bonus section below featuring Windows keyboard shortcuts for selecting text.)

The word count in the status bar at the bottom left-hand corner of your screen will then update to say “[#] of [#] words.” Once you deselect the text, the count will return to the total for the entire document.

How to View the Word Count Dialog Box and Exclude Textboxes, Footnotes, and Endnotes

To open the Word Count dialog box, select the word count in the status bar or press Ctrl + Shift + G on your keyboard.

The Word Count dialog box shows the number of pages, words, characters with and without spaces, paragraphs, and lines in your document.

Note that the lines statistic in the Word Count dialog box represents the number of individual lines with letters or numbers in them, not the number of sentences. The number of lines in your document will be affected by your font size (i.e., the bigger the font, the more lines you will have.)

Uncheck “Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes” if you want to exclude everything in those sections from the word count. The count will update immediately.

Further Reading: How to Delete Extra Spaces in Microsoft Word

Updated February 25, 2022

Here, we’ll take a look at how to find the word count in Microsoft word, which allows you to keep track of the number of words in your document. 

When you’re using Microsoft Office to type documents, it’s likely that you don’t need all of the features that Word has to offer. Page numbers, page count, and text boxes can help you organize your writing, but the word count tool is one of the essential tools for keeping track of the length of your Microsoft Word document before and during the proofing process. 

Finding the word count of your entire document is simple. Usually, the word count appears on the lower-left area of the document as you type. If the word count is not visible, click Review on the toolbar, then click word count. After you click word count, the word count dialog box will appear. This box will show you a breakdown of the words and characters used in your document.

Finding The Word Count And Character Count In Word

When you’re trying to hit a specific word count in a Word document, it’s essential that you’re able to keep an eye on your progress. 

Finding the word count in your Word document is usually pretty simple, as you can keep an eye on the status bar in the bottom left area of your Word document. Usually, this is a simple way to watch your word count climb as you complete your work. 

In some versions of Word, you may not be able to see the word count of your document in the bottom left area of the document. In this case, you can use your cursor to click on the review tab in the toolbar of your Word document. This will bring up a pop-up dialogue box that tells you the number of words and the number of characters in your document. 

Usually, Word works the same on a PC as it does on a Mac, but you may have to get used to some slight difference when you switch operating systems (such as looking for the word count and the number of pages in a different place than you’re used to). 

Selected Text

Sometimes, you don’t need to know the word count of an entire document. Instead, you may only need to see the word count of a particular section of selected text. For example, this may be true if you’re only working through a small part of a document at a time and need to hit a specific word count per section (such as a 500-word introduction to a paper). 

Google Docs

Sometimes, it can be easier to work on a document in Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word. There are many similarities between the two programs, but some of the dropdown menu options are different. 

To find the total word count for your work in a Google doc, navigate to the tools option of the menu bar and select word count from the dropdown menu. When you click on the word count option, you’ll get a pop-up box that shows the total number of words in your document. 

You’ll also notice that Google docs offer a helpful option to view the word count of your document as you continue to work. Just like the bottom-left section of a Word document, checking the option to view your word count continuously as you work allows you to keep an eye on how long you have to go before you hit your desired document length. 

Final Word On Where Word is Count In Word

There’s no need to spend tons of time trying to navigate the tools menu to show word count in Microsoft Word. In most cases, the word count is displayed readily (no need to watch fancy tutorials, use apps, or learn keyboard shortcuts to figure out how to see the number of words in your document). 

If you are using Microsoft Word for your writing project, you might be interested in learning how to install Grammarly on Word also. 

FAQ On Where Is Word Count In Word