# How to Count Words in Microsoft Word

> Microsoft Word shows your word count in the status bar at the bottom of the window, and a full breakdown in the Word Count dialog, opened from the Review tab or with a keyboard shortcut. Menu names can vary by version.

- URL: https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word/
- Type: Guide
- Updated: 2026-10-15

**Short answer:** Look at the status bar, or press Ctrl+Shift+G (Windows) or Command+Shift+G (Mac) to open the Word Count dialog.

## Method 1: the status bar

The word count appears at the bottom left of the Word window. Select any text and the bar shows the count of the selection as “X of Y words”. If it is missing, right-click the status bar and tick Word Count.

## Method 2: the Word Count dialog

- Go to the **Review** tab.
- Click **Word Count**, or press Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows or Command+Shift+G on Mac.
- Read pages, words, characters (no spaces), characters (with spaces), paragraphs and lines.
- Tick or clear **Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes** to match your rules.

## Counting part of a document

Select the paragraphs or sections you want to measure; the status bar and the dialog both then report on the selection. To exclude a reference list, select from the start of the document to the end of the main text. For a heading-by-heading breakdown, paste the sections into the [Content Brief Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/content-brief-word-counter/).

## If the count looks wrong

Check the include-footnotes option, hidden text and tracked changes (switch to the Final view). Remember that Word counts a standalone dash or ampersand as a word; see [How Microsoft Word Counts Words](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-microsoft-word-counts-words/) for the rules. To get a second opinion, paste the text into the [Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/) and compare; small differences are normal.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the shortcut for word count in Word?

Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows, Command+Shift+G on Mac.

### How do I count words in a selection?

Select the text; the status bar shows the selection’s count.

### Why is my status bar missing the word count?

Right-click the status bar and tick Word Count.

## Related

- [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 to Count Words in Google Docs](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/how-to-count-words-in-google-docs/index.md): Menu, shortcut and live count for Google Docs.
- [Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/index.md): The main free word counter for English, Urdu and Roman Urdu.
- [Content Brief Word Counter](https://wordcounter.pk/content-brief-word-counter/index.md): Track words per heading against a content brief’s plan.
- [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.
- [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.
- [Do Hyphenated Words Count as One or Two?](https://wordcounter.pk/guides/do-hyphenated-words-count-as-one-or-two/index.md): How hyphens, en dashes and em dashes affect word counts.

## Images

- ![How to Count Words in Microsoft Word: Status bar, shortcut and dialog for counting words in Word. (WordCounter.pk cover graphic)](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word-cover-1200.webp)
- ![What this guide covers: Method 1: the status bar; Method 2: the Word Count dialog; Counting part of a document](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word-how-it-works-1200.webp)
- ![Quick facts: How to Count Words in Microsoft Word: What is the shortcut for word count in Word?; How do I count words in a selection?; Why is my status bar missing the word count?](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word-reference-1200.webp)
- ![Map showing how How to Count Words in Microsoft Word connects to Writing Guides, How Microsoft Word Counts Words, How to Count Words in Google Docs, Word Counter and more on WordCounter.pk](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word-related-tools-map-1200.webp)
- ![Quick answer card: What is the shortcut for word count in Word? Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows, Command+Shift+G on Mac.](https://wordcounter.pk/img/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word/how-to-count-words-in-microsoft-word-quick-answer-1200.webp)