Word counts words continuously as you type. The status bar gives a quick total, and the full Word Count dialog shows characters, pages, paragraphs, and options for text boxes and notes.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2021, and Word 2019 on Windows or Mac when you need the whole document count or the count for one paragraph, chapter, section, or selected passage.
Check the word count at the bottom of the window
The status bar is the quickest place to look.
- Look at the bottom-left of the Word window.
- Read the word total shown in the gray status bar.
- To count only part of the document, select that text first.
- The status bar changes to a selected count, such as 142 of 1,204 words.
- Click elsewhere to return to the full document count.
If the count is missing, right-click the status bar and enable Word Count in the menu.
Open the full Word Count dialog
Use this for character counts and more detail.
- Open the Review tab.
- Click Word Count.
- Review Pages, Words, Characters without spaces, Characters with spaces, Paragraphs, and Lines.
- If required, check Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes.
- Close the dialog when finished.
More control
Footnotes and text boxes may be excluded
The basic status bar count does not reliably include footnotes, endnotes, headers, footers, or text boxes. Use the dialog and the include checkbox when rules require them.
Word counting rules can differ slightly
Hyphenated terms usually count as one word, and punctuation can affect what Word treats as a word break. Follow the required authority if an assignment defines word count differently.
Selection counts are temporary
Word does not permanently pin a chapter or section for separate counting. Re-select the section when you need an updated count.
The count updates live
There is no refresh button needed while writing. The status bar updates as words are added or removed.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Show word count (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Customize the status bar (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Work with word counts in your document (2025)