How to Check Word Count in Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why Word Count Is Important

Word count is crucial for many types of writing. In academia, word limits are often imposed on essays or dissertations, and failing to meet them can negatively affect your grades. Similarly, in professional settings, maintaining a specific word limit in reports and proposals ensures clear and concise communication. Writers, especially bloggers and content marketers, must also focus on word count to satisfy search engine optimisation (SEO) best practices. To understand how word limits can affect readability and SEO, check this helpful SEO Guide.

Understanding the word count in Microsoft Word helps you manage your writing better. For example, when writing blog posts for SEO, keeping your content within the recommended length improves your visibility on search engines proofreading services to ensure your content is both concise and effective.

If you’re also interested in streamlining your document formatting, check out our guide on using styles in Microsoft Word. Proper formatting not only makes your document look professional but also improves readability, especially for long documents.

How to Check the Word Count in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word offers multiple ways to check the word count, from a quick glance at the status bar to detailed statistics through the Word Count tool. Let’s explore these methods.

1. Using the Status Bar

The quickest way to check word count in is through the status bar at the bottom of your document window.

• Open your Word document.
• Look at the bottom left corner where you’ll see the word count displayed.
• If you highlight specific text, the status bar will show the word count for the selected text as well as the total document word count (e.g., 500/2,000 words).

This method is perfect for those who need quick access to the word count. For students and academic writers, being aware of the word count for specific sections (e.g., introductions or conclusions) can help meet assignment requirements. If you need additional support with adhering to word limits, consider our academic proofreading service at Proofers. Our team will happily assist you with keeping your text within the limitations set.

2. Using the Word Count Tool

For a detailed breakdown, you can use the Word Count tool, which provides more comprehensive information, including the number of characters, pages, and paragraphs.

• Open your document in Word.
• Click on the Review tab.
• In the Proofing section, click Word Count.
• A dialogue box will appear with detailed statistics, including the number of words, characters (with and without spaces), pages, paragraphs, and lines.

This method is especially useful when you’re working on content with character count limits. For additional details on how word count affects content writing, you may want to refer to Yoast’s guide.

3. Counting Words in Specific Sections

Sometimes you need to check the word count for only a portion of the document, such as an introduction or a specific chapter.

• Highlight the section of text you want to count.
• The status bar will show the word count for the highlighted section and the total word count for the document.
• For more details, open the Word Count Tool to see other statistics related to the highlighted section.

This method is particularly useful for ensuring different parts of your document adhere to specific length requirements.

4. Keyboard Shortcut for Word Count

If you prefer to use keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft Word has a quick option for checking word tally.

• Press Ctrl + Shift + G on Windows or Command + Shift + G on Mac. This shortcut will instantly open the Word Count dialogue box, giving you immediate access to detailed statistics without having to navigate through the toolbar.

Word Count when using Microsoft Word 365

For those who prefer to use Word Online, checking word count is just as straightforward.

• Open your document in Word Online via Microsoft 365.
• Click on the Review tab.
• Select Word Count to view the total number of words, characters, paragraphs, and more.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

While Microsoft Word’s word count feature is helpful, there are some things to keep in mind:

• Excluding Headers, Footers, and Footnotes: Word does not automatically include these in the word count. If these sections are critical, make sure you select the option to include them. For more detailed settings on Word count and document elements, refer to Microsoft’s official help page.
• Hidden Text: If your document contains hidden text, it won’t be counted unless you adjust the settings. Open the Word Count tool and check the box for “Include textboxes, footnotes, and endnotes.”
• Non-Text Elements: Images, charts, and other non-text elements won’t be counted. Keep this in mind when you’re formatting documents with significant visual content.

If you’re unsure about word count requirements for different document sections, Proofers can help with our Proofreading Services. We’ll ensure your document meets word count requirements while maintaining perfect quality and clarity.

Conclusion

Mastering how to check word count in Microsoft Word is a crucial skill for any writer, whether you’re drafting a business report, creating SEO-optimised content, or working on an academic paper. Microsoft Word provides several options to check your word count, from the quick status bar glance to more detailed breakdowns through the Word Count tool.

For writers, knowing your word count allows you to better manage content, stay within required limits, and produce high-quality writing. If you ever need assistance with proofreading, editing, or ensuring compliance with specific word count requirements, Proofers offers expert services tailored to your needs.

Looking for more Word tips? Read our guide on how to use styles in Microsoft Word for expert advice on professionally formatting your document. For information on improving your content quality, take a look at the editing services on offer at Proofers.