Life as a writer, student, or professional often means keeping an eye on how much you’ve written. Whether it’s a school essay with a strict word limit, a blog post needing to hit a certain length, or just tracking your daily writing goals, knowing your word count is super important.

If you’re using Google Docs, you’re in luck! It makes checking your word count incredibly easy. This guide will walk you through all the simple ways on how to see word count on Google Docs, no matter if you’re on a computer or your phone.

How to See Word Count on Google Docs (Desktop)

Using Google Docs on your computer is probably the most common way to write, and thankfully, checking your word count here is super straightforward. There are a few easy methods, so you can pick the one that works best for you!

See Word Count on the Google Docs Tools Menu

This is the classic way, and it’s really easy to remember. Just follow these steps:

• First, open the Google Doc you want to check.
• Look at the very top of your screen, in the menu bar. You’ll see words like “File,” “Edit,” “View,” and then “Tools.” Click on “Tools.
• A dropdown menu will appear. Near the top of this list, you’ll find “Word count.” Click on it.

A small box will pop up right in the middle of your screen. This box will show you a few helpful numbers: the total number of pages, words, characters (including spaces), and characters (without spaces) in your document. Once you’ve seen the numbers, you can just click “OK” or the “X” to close the box.

The Quick Keyboard Shortcut

Are you someone who loves keyboard shortcuts because they save you time? Google Docs has one for word count, too! This is a super-fast way to get the information without moving your mouse.

• For Windows or Linux users: Press Ctrl + Shift + C at the same time.
• For Mac users: Press Command + Shift + C at the same time.

Just like with the “Tools” menu, this shortcut will instantly bring up the same little box showing your word, character, and page counts. This method is especially handy if you’re in the middle of typing and don’t want to break your flow.

What if you only want to check the word count for a small part of your document, like a single paragraph or a few sentences? No problem! Simply highlight the text you’re interested in, and then use either the “Tools” menu method or the keyboard shortcut. The pop-up box will then show you the word count for just that selected text, along with the total document count.

Live Word Count Display (Always On!)

Constantly opening the word count box can get a little annoying, right? Especially if you have a strict word limit, you’re trying to hit. Good news! Google Docs has a “live” word count feature that stays visible as you type.

Here’s how to turn it on:

• Open the Word count box: Use either the “Tools” menu method or the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + Shift + C or Cmd + Shift + C).
• Check the box: In the pop-up window, you’ll see an option that says “Display word count while typing.” Click the checkbox next to it.
• Click “OK”: After checking the box, click “OK” to save your settings.

Now, a small box will appear in the bottom-left corner of your Google Docs window, showing a running count of your words. This number will automatically update as you type, delete, or add more text. If you click on this live word count box, it will expand to show you the full details, including pages, characters, and characters without spaces. If you want to hide it later, just click the box again and select Hide word count.

How to See Word Count on Google Docs Mobile App

Sometimes you’re on the go, maybe working on your phone or tablet, and you still need to check that word count. Google Docs makes it easy on mobile, too! The steps are pretty similar whether you have an Android device or an iPhone/iPad.

For Android Phones and Tablets

If you’re using an Android device, here’s how you can quickly find your word count:

• Find the Google Docs app icon on your phone or tablet and tap to open it.
• Tap on the document you want to check.
• Look in the top-right corner of your screen. You’ll see three vertical dots (sometimes called the “More” menu). Tap on these dots.
• In the menu that pops up, scroll down and tap “Word count.

A small window will appear, showing you the number of words, characters (with spaces), and characters (without spaces) in your document.

For iPhones and iPads

The process for Apple devices is almost identical to Android, making it simple, no matter which mobile device you’re using:

• Launch the Google Docs app from your iPhone or iPad.
• Tap the document you wish to view.
• In the top-right corner of the screen, you’ll see three dots (they might be horizontal on iOS). Tap this icon.
• From the menu that appears, choose “Word count.”

Just like on Android, a box will pop up, displaying your document’s word count, character count, and character count excluding spaces. If you want to check the word count for only a selected part of your text on mobile, highlight that section first, then follow the same steps.

What is Character and Page Count

When you check the word count in Google Docs, you’ll notice it gives you more than just the number of words. It also shows you the character count (with and without spaces) and the page count. These extra numbers are often overlooked but can be just as important as the word count itself!

• Words: This is pretty straightforward – it’s the number of individual words in your document.
• Characters (with spaces): This counts every single letter, number, symbol, and every space between words.
• Characters (without spaces): This counts only letters, numbers, and symbols, but it does not count the spaces between words.

Why They’re Useful

These extra counts are not just for show; they have practical uses too!

• Character Count: This is super important for platforms that have strict character limits, not just word limits. Think about writing a tweet, a social media caption, or even the meta description for a webpage. These often have character limits, and knowing your character count helps you fit your message perfectly. It’s also useful for coding or specific data entry where every single character matters.
• Page Count: While less precise than word count, page count gives you a quick idea of the physical length of your document. If you need to print something or are preparing a report that needs to be a certain number of pages, this count helps you visualize the physical size of your work. It’s a good general indicator, especially when you’re thinking about the overall presentation of your document.

FAQs

How to see word count on Google docs for only a part of my document?

Simply highlight the specific text you want to count, then open the word count box using either the “Tools” menu or the keyboard shortcut. The pop-up will show you the word count for your selection as well as the total document.

Is there a way to set a target word count in Google Docs?

Google Docs doesn’t have a built-in feature to set a “target” word count that gives you warnings.

How to see the word count on Google Slides?

Google Slides doesn’t have a built-in word count feature.

How to check the word count on Word?

To check your word count in Microsoft Word:

• Look for the word count statistic in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
• You can also get detailed information in the Review tab and clicking the Word Count.

Is there a word count checker for Google Docs?

Here are some word count checkers for Google Docs:

• Word counter
• Wordcounter
• Quillbot
• Grammarly

Can I quickly hide the live word count display once it’s on?

Yes. If you have the live word count displayed in the bottom-left corner, simply click on it, and an option to “Hide word count” will appear. Click that to remove it from view.