# Do Hyphenated Words Count as One or Two?

> The short answer is that most word counters, including Microsoft Word and Google Docs, count a hyphenated compound like “well-known” as one word. Some institutions and publishers count each part separately, so check your rules.

- URL: https://wordcounter.pk/guides/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/
- Type: Guide
- Updated: 2026-10-15

**Short answer:** Hyphenated words usually count as one word, because there is no space between the parts. A few style guides and portals count each part, so check the instructions of whoever sets the limit.

## Hyphens versus dashes

| Mark | Example | Typical count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hyphen (-) | well-known, mother-in-law | 1 word in Word, Docs and this counter |
| En dash (–) with spaces | pages 5 – 10 | The dash is a separate token in Word; not counted here |
| En dash without spaces | 5–10 | 1 token in Word |
| Em dash (—) without spaces | word—word | 1 word in Word; 2 in Google Docs and here |
| Em dash with spaces | word — word | 2 words; the dash counts in Word only |

The em dash is where programs disagree most, because writers often use it without surrounding spaces. If your document is heavy with unspaced em dashes, the total can differ noticeably between programs.

## What this counter does

By default a hyphen joins the letters on either side, so “mother-in-law” counts as one word. Tick **Hyphen = 2 words** in the toolbar of the [Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/) to count each part separately; in that mode “mother-in-law” counts as three. Both modes work on every counter on the site that uses the main engine.

## Which rule should you follow?

Follow whoever sets the limit. A university that uses Microsoft Word as its standard will count hyphenated words as one. Translation agencies sometimes count by source-language rules, and some publishers count a hyphenated compound as multiple words to avoid underquoting. If you are paid by the word, agree on the method in writing. For everyday essays the difference is a handful of words and rarely matters.

## Related rules

How other tokens count is covered in [What Counts as One Word](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/what-counts-as-one-word/). Numbers with separators, such as 1,250 or 3.14, are covered in [Do Numbers Count as Words?](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/do-numbers-count-as-words/). The general algorithm is explained in [How Word Count Is Calculated](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-word-count-is-calculated/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Microsoft Word count hyphenated words as one?

Yes.

### Does Google Docs?

Yes for hyphens. Em dashes are treated differently.

### Do compound words like “ice-cream” count once?

Yes by default.

### Can I count each part separately?

Yes, tick the hyphen option in the toolbar.

## Related

- [What Counts as One Word](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/what-counts-as-one-word/index.md): Quick-reference rules for contractions, hyphens, numbers, URLs and symbols.
- [How Microsoft Word Counts Words](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-microsoft-word-counts-words/index.md): Word’s counting rules for hyphens, dashes, symbols, footnotes and text boxes.
- [How Google Docs Counts Words](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-google-docs-counts-words/index.md): Google Docs’ word-counting behaviour compared with Word.
- [Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/index.md): The main free word counter for English, Urdu and Roman Urdu.
- [Find and Replace](https://wordcounter.pk/find-and-replace/index.md): Find and replace words or patterns, with regex and case options.
- [What Is a Word Counter?](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/what-is-a-word-counter/index.md): Definition, how a word counter works and the units it measures.
- [How Word Count Is Calculated](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-word-count-is-calculated/index.md): The step-by-step logic behind word counts, with edge-case examples.
- [Do Numbers Count as Words?](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/do-numbers-count-as-words/index.md): How numbers, dates, decimals and currency are counted.

## Images

- ![Do Hyphenated Words Count as One or Two?: How hyphens, en dashes and em dashes affect word counts. (WordCounter.pk cover graphic)](https://wordcounter.pk/img/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two-cover-1200.webp)
- ![What this guide covers: Hyphens versus dashes; What this counter does; Which rule should you follow?](https://wordcounter.pk/img/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two-how-it-works-1200.webp)
- ![Hyphens versus dashes: Do Hyphenated Words Count as…: reference table with columns Mark, Example, Typical count](https://wordcounter.pk/img/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two-reference-1200.webp)
- ![Map showing how Do Hyphenated Words Count as One or Two? connects to Writing Guides, What Counts as One Word, How Microsoft Word Counts Words, How Google Docs Counts Words and more on WordCounter.pk](https://wordcounter.pk/img/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two-related-tools-map-1200.webp)
- ![Quick answer card: Does Microsoft Word count hyphenated words as one? Yes.](https://wordcounter.pk/img/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two-quick-answer-1200.webp)