Every major writing app has a built-in word count feature, and finding it usually takes one click or a quick keyboard shortcut. Whether you’re writing in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or another tool, here’s how to get an accurate count and understand what should (and shouldn’t) be included.
Word Count in Google Docs
The fastest method is a keyboard shortcut. On Windows or a Chromebook, press Ctrl + Shift + C. On a Mac, press Cmd + Shift + C. A dialog box will pop up showing your total word count, character count, and character count without spaces. You can also reach this through the menu by clicking Tools, then Word Count.
If you want a running count visible at all times, check the “Display word count while typing” box in that same dialog. A small counter will appear at the bottom left of your document, updating as you write.
To count words in just one section, highlight the text first, then use the shortcut or menu. The dialog will show the count for your selection alongside the total document count.
Word Count in Microsoft Word
Word displays a live word count in the bottom left corner of the window by default. Click that number to open a detailed breakdown that includes pages, words, characters with and without spaces, paragraphs, and lines. You can also find it under the Review tab by clicking Word Count.
Just like in Google Docs, you can highlight a specific passage to see the count for only that section. The status bar at the bottom will update to show something like “237 of 1,402 words,” telling you both the selection count and the full document count at a glance.
Word’s count dialog also has a checkbox labeled “Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes.” If your essay uses footnotes, toggling this on or off lets you see how much they contribute to your total.
Word Count in Apple Pages
In Pages, go to View in the menu bar and select Show Word Count. A counter appears at the bottom of the document. Click on it to toggle between words, characters, characters without spaces, paragraphs, and pages. Highlighting a section shows the count for that selection only.
Counting Words in a PDF
PDFs don’t have a built-in word count tool. The simplest workaround is to convert the PDF to a Word document first. Adobe’s free online PDF-to-Word converter lets you upload a file, download the converted Word version, then check the count using Word’s Review tab. You can also copy the text from a PDF and paste it into any word processor or online counter to get a quick number.
If you’re on a phone, open the PDF in a reader app, select and copy the text, then paste it into a mobile word processor like the Microsoft Word app to check the count there.
Counting by Hand
If you’re working with a printed essay or a handwritten draft, the standard manual method is to count every word in several full lines, then divide to get your average words per line. Multiply that average by the total number of lines on a page, then multiply by the number of pages. For example, if your lines average 12 words and you have 25 lines per page across 4 pages, that’s roughly 1,200 words. This won’t be exact, but it gets you close enough to know whether you’re in range of a word limit.
What Counts Toward Your Word Limit
Academic word limits almost always include your body text and in-text citations. If you write “(Smith, 2023)” in the middle of a sentence, those words and that date are part of your count. Your reference list or bibliography at the end, however, is typically excluded. The same goes for title pages, headers, footers, and tables of contents.
Footnotes and endnotes fall into a gray area. Some instructors count them, others don’t. If your assignment guidelines don’t specify, ask. In Microsoft Word, you can toggle footnotes in and out of the count to see the difference, which is helpful when you’re close to a limit.
Block quotes are generally included in the word count, though a few style guides or specific course policies may exclude lengthy quoted material. When in doubt, assume everything in the body of your essay counts.
Online Word Count Tools
If you’re writing in a plain text editor or want a second opinion, free websites like WordCounter.net or CharacterCountOnline.com let you paste text and instantly see a word count along with character and sentence counts. Some also estimate reading time and flag overused words. These tools are useful for quick checks, but for a final count on an assignment, rely on the word processor you’re submitting from, since that’s the number your reader will see.