How to Check Word Count in Google Docs and Microsoft Word

Both major word processors have built-in word counters, but they're not always in the same place, and the process for checking just a selected portion of text — rather than the whole document — trips people up more often than the basic total count does.

Google Docs

Google Docs shows a live word count automatically in the bottom-left corner of the screen while you type, once enabled. If it's not showing:

Go to Tools in the top menu.

Select Word count (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+C on Windows, Cmd+Shift+C on Mac).

A panel opens showing word count, character count (with and without spaces), and page count.

Check the box for "Display word count while typing" to keep a live counter visible in the corner going forward.

To count just a selection: highlight the text you want counted first, then open the word count tool the same way — it automatically shows both the selection's count and the full document's count.

Microsoft Word (Desktop)

Word displays a running word count in the status bar at the bottom of the window by default. If it's missing:

Right-click anywhere on the status bar.

Check Word Count from the context menu that appears — it will then show permanently in the status bar.

For a detailed breakdown (characters with and without spaces, paragraphs, lines): go to the Review tab and click Word Count, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+G.

To count just a selection: highlight the text first. The status bar automatically switches to show "X of Y words," where X is your selected portion and Y is the full document.

Microsoft Word Online / Word for the Web

The browser version works similarly to desktop Word: the word count typically shows in the status bar, and selecting text before checking gives you a selection-specific count. If it's not visible, check the Review tab for the Word Count button, the same as desktop.

Why Selection Counting Matters

A whole-document count tells you the total, but it's not always what you need. If an assignment asks for a 500-word response within a larger document, or you need to know whether just your introduction has crept too long relative to the rest of the piece, selection counting is the tool that actually answers the question — checking the whole-document total won't tell you that.

When a Standalone Counter Is Faster

For quick checks — pasting in a paragraph from an email, checking a caption before posting, or counting text that isn't in a document at all — opening a full word processor is often more friction than it's worth. word counter gives an instant count for any pasted text, with no document setup required, which is usually faster for one-off checks outside your main draft.

Quick Reference