Why word counts are not always the same
There is no single official rule for what a word is. Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and online tools agree on ordinary text, but they can differ by a few words when a text has hyphens, slashes, numbers or symbols. This page counts the words and then shows the total under four common rules next to each other, so you can pick the one your assignment or client uses.
The counting rules
- Standard: every group of characters between spaces counts, if it holds a letter or a number. Hyphenated words are one word.
- Count standalone symbols: also counts a lone &, - or / that sits between spaces.
- Split hyphenated words and dashes: well-known becomes two words, and state-of-the-art becomes four.
- Ignore numbers and symbols: counts only the groups that contain a letter.
Example
The text A state-of-the-art tool - 100% free has these counts:
- Standard: 5 words.
- With standalone symbols: 6 words, because the dash counts.
- With hyphens split: 8 words.
- Without numbers and symbols: 4 words, because 100% is left out.
Which rule should I use?
Use the rule that the person who set the limit will use. For an essay, follow the assignment brief, and when in doubt count the same way as the program you submit from. For web content and SEO, the standard rule is the common one. If you are close to a limit, leave a small margin so the difference between tools cannot push you over.
Selected text
Select part of your text to see the words and characters in just that part.
Related tools
For characters, sentences, paragraphs and reading time at the same time, use the word counter. To check an assignment against a limit, open the essay word counter. Count the characters with the character counter, and see which words repeat in the word frequency counter. The guide to counting words shows where to find the count in Word, Google Docs and Excel.