How to Check Word Count in Google Docs — Quick Tutorial

Google Docs has a built-in word counter that shows words, characters, and pages. Whether you are writing an essay, a report, or a novel, knowing your word count is essential for meeting requirements and tracking progress. Here is how to check word count on every platform.

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest)

The quickest way to check word count in Google Docs is with a keyboard shortcut:

Platform	Shortcut
Mac	Command + Shift + C
Windows/Linux	Ctrl + Shift + C
ChromeOS	Ctrl + Shift + C

This opens a dialog box showing the total word count, character count (with and without spaces), and page count. Press Escape or click "OK" to close it.

Method 2: Menu Bar

If you prefer using the menu:

Step 1: Open your document in Google Docs.

Step 2: Click Tools in the top menu bar.

Step 3: Click Word count from the dropdown menu.

Step 4: A dialog box appears with your document statistics.

The dialog shows four metrics:

Metric	What It Counts
Pages	Number of pages based on current page setup
Words	Total number of words in the document
Characters	Total characters including spaces
Characters excluding spaces	Total characters without spaces

Method 3: Display Word Count While Typing

Google Docs can show a live word count at the bottom of your document as you type. This is the most useful option for writers who need to monitor their word count continuously.

Step 1: Open the word count dialog (Tools > Word count or use the keyboard shortcut).

Step 2: Check the box that says "Display word count while typing."

Step 3: Click OK.

A small counter appears in the bottom-left corner of the document. Click on it to toggle between showing words, characters, or characters without spaces. Click it again to see the full word count dialog.

This persistent counter remains active for the current session. If you close and reopen the document, you will need to enable it again.

Method 4: Word Count for Selected Text

To check the word count of a specific section rather than the entire document:

Step 1: Select the text you want to count by clicking and dragging, or using Shift + arrow keys.

Step 2: Open the word count dialog (Tools > Word count or keyboard shortcut).

Step 3: The dialog now shows two rows — the count for your selection and the total document count.

This is particularly useful when you need to check the length of a specific chapter, section, or paragraph without counting the entire document.

Method 5: Google Docs on Mobile (Android and iOS)

The Google Docs mobile app also supports word count, though the process is slightly different:

Step 1: Open your document in the Google Docs app.

Step 2: Tap the three-dot menu (More options) in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Tap Word count.

Step 4: View your word count, character count, and character count without spaces.

On mobile, the live word count display feature is not available. You also cannot select specific text and get a partial word count on most mobile versions — the tool shows the entire document count.

What Google Docs Counts (and Doesn't)

Element	Counted?
Body text	Yes
Headers and footers	No
Footnotes	No
Text in tables	Yes
Text in text boxes	No
Comments	No
URLs/links	Yes (counts the displayed text)
Hyphens in compound words	Treated as one word
Numbers	Yes (each number counts as a word)
Bullet points/numbered lists	Text counts, bullets do not

Note that Google Docs does not count text in headers, footers, or footnotes. If your document uses these elements extensively (such as an academic paper with many footnotes), your actual word count may be higher than what Google Docs reports.

Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word: Word Count Differences

Google Docs and Microsoft Word sometimes report slightly different word counts for the same text. The differences are usually small (within 1-2%) and stem from how each application handles edge cases like hyphenated words, em-dashes, and URLs.

Feature	Google Docs	Microsoft Word
Hyphenated words	Counts as 1 word	Counts as 2 words
Headers/footers	Not counted	Optional (can include)
Footnotes/endnotes	Not counted	Optional (can include)
Text boxes	Not counted	Optional (can include)
Live word count	Bottom-left (toggle on)	Status bar (always visible)

If you need a precise word count for a submission with strict requirements, it is worth checking with the tool your recipient expects. Academic institutions often specify which word processor's count is authoritative.

When Google Docs Isn't Enough

Google Docs' word counter is basic — it shows words, characters, and pages, but nothing more. If you need additional metrics like reading time, sentence count, syllable count, paragraph count, keyword density, or readability scores, a dedicated text analyzer gives you a much more detailed picture of your writing.

These additional metrics are particularly valuable for:

Academic writing: Readability scores help ensure your writing matches the expected complexity level for your audience.

Content marketing: Reading time estimates help readers decide whether to engage with your content. Keyword density analysis helps with SEO optimization.

Creative writing: Sentence length variation and readability metrics can reveal patterns in your prose style that you might want to adjust.