How to Check the Word Count in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a widely-used word processing program that allows users to write and edit text documents. One useful feature of Word is the ability to check the word count of a document, which can be helpful when writing papers, essays, or other documents with a specific word count requirement. Here’s how to check the word count in Microsoft Word:

Method 1: Using the Word Count Tool

  1. Open the document in Microsoft Word.
  2. Click on the “Review” tab in the top menu.
  3. Click on the “Word Count” button in the “Proofing” section.
  4. A pop-up window will appear that shows the word count, character count (with and without spaces), and other statistics about the document.
  5. You can also choose to check the word count of a specific section of the document by highlighting the text you want to check and then clicking on the “Word Count” button.

Method 2: Using the Status Bar

  1. Open the document in Microsoft Word.
  2. Look at the bottom left corner of the screen to find the status bar.
  3. The word count will be displayed in the status bar, along with other information such as the page count and the current section of the document.
  4. If you don’t see the word count in the status bar, right-click on the status bar and select “Word Count” from the options that appear.

Method 3: Using the Ribbon

  1. Open the document in Microsoft Word.
  2. Click on the “Review” tab in the top menu.
  3. Look for the “Proofing” section of the ribbon.
  4. The word count will be displayed in the “Proofing” section, along with other statistics such as the character count and the number of pages.
  5. If you don’t see the word count in the “Proofing” section, click on the arrow next to “Word Count” to customize which statistics are displayed.

These are the main methods for checking the word count in Microsoft Word. By using these tools, you can easily keep track of how many words you’ve written and make sure you’re staying within the required word count for your document.