How can you Track Word Count in a Document in Word?

Whether you’re a student, writer, or professional, keeping track of the word count in a Microsoft Word document can be essential. Word provides several ways to monitor the word count, and we’ll walk you through each method step by step.

Step 1: Viewing Word Count in the Status Bar

One of the easiest ways to view the word count is from the status bar at the bottom of the Word window.

1. Open your document: Start by opening the document you want to check.
2. Locate the status bar: Look at the bottom of the Word window.
3. Check the word count: The word count should be displayed in the status bar.
   • Enable Status Bar: If you don’t see the word count, right-click on the status bar and ensure that “Word Count” is checked.

Step 2: Using the Word Count Dialog Box

For more detailed statistics, you can use the Word Count dialog box.

1. Go to the Review tab: Click on the “Review” tab in the Ribbon.
2. Click on Word Count: In the “Proofing” group, click on “Word Count.”
3. View detailed statistics: A dialog box will appear, providing information about words, characters (with and without spaces), paragraphs, and lines.

Step 3: Tracking Word Count for Selected Text

Word also allows you to find the word count of a specific section within your document.

1. Select the text: Highlight the section of text for which you want to check the word count.
2. View count in the status bar: The word count of the selected text will be displayed in the status bar.
3. Use the dialog box for selection:
   • With your text still selected, go to “Review” > “Word Count.”
   • The Word Count dialog box will now display statistics for the selected text.

Step 4: Adding the Word Count to the Document

Sometimes you may need to embed the word count directly into the document.

1. Place your cursor: Click on the spot in your document where you want to insert the word count.
2. Go to the Insert tab: Click on the “Insert” tab in the Ribbon.
3. Add a Field: In the “Text” group, click on “Quick Parts,” and then select “Field…”
4. Select NumWords: In the “Field Names” list, select “NumWords” and click “OK.”
   • The word count will now be inserted at the cursor position and will update automatically as you make changes to the document.

Step 5: Tracking Word Count in Word Online

If you’re using Word Online, the process is slightly different.

1. Open your document in Word Online: Go to your OneDrive or SharePoint and open the document.
2. View word count: Look at the bottom of the document window, where the word count will be displayed.
3. Selecting text: Highlight any section of the text to see the word count for that specific selection.

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