How to Check Word Count in Google Docs, Word & Pages

The Short Answer

In Google Docs press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac) or choose Tools then Word count. In Microsoft Word the word count shows in the status bar at the bottom of the window, or choose Review then Word Count. In Apple Pages choose View then Show Word Count.

Google Docs

1. Open your document.
2. Choose Tools then Word count, or press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac).
3. Tick "Display word count while typing" to keep it on screen.

To count only part of the document, select the text first.

Microsoft Word

1. Look at the status bar at the bottom left for the live count.
2. For more detail, choose Review then Word Count to see words, characters, paragraphs and lines.
3. Select text first to count just that section.

Apple Pages

1. Choose View then Show Word Count.
2. The count appears at the bottom of the window.

Use an Online Word Counter

If you are using another app or have copied text from somewhere else, paste it into our word counter for words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time and keyword density. The count may differ slightly between tools because they treat hyphens and numbers differently.

Turn Words Into Pages

Once you have your count, see how many pages 1,000 words takes up.