How to count words in a Word document
Microsoft Word shows a live word count, but it's easy to miss, differs between versions, and doesn't help when you don't have Word installed. Here are three reliable ways to count the words in a .docx file — including one that works in any browser without uploading the document anywhere.
Inside Microsoft Word
Desktop Word shows the count in the status bar at the bottom left — click it to open the full Word Count dialog with characters, paragraphs and lines. If the status bar doesn't show it, right-click the bar and tick Word Count. On Word for the web, look under Review → Word Count. Note that Word counts footnotes and text boxes only if the dialog's checkbox is ticked, so two people can get different numbers from the same file.
In Google Docs
Upload the .docx to Google Drive, open it with Google Docs, then press Ctrl+Shift+C (⌘+Shift+C on a Mac) or use Tools → Word count. Docs counts visible body text — headers, footers and footnotes are excluded, which is why a Docs count is often slightly lower than Word's for the same document.
In your browser, without uploading
If you just need the number — for a submission limit, a translation quote, or an assignment — you don't need Word at all. Drop the .docx file onto the word counter on this site: the file is read entirely inside your browser tab, the text never leaves your device, and you get words, characters, sentences and reading time instantly. It works with .txt and .md files too. This is the fastest option when Word isn't installed, and the safest when the document is confidential.
Why counts differ between tools
There is no single official definition of a "word". Word treats hyphenated compounds as one word; some tools split them. Footnotes, captions, text boxes, headers and footers are included by some counters and skipped by others. Numbers and standalone punctuation are counted differently too. Differences of 1–3% between tools are normal — if you're working against a strict limit, check which tool the recipient uses and leave a small margin.
What each tool includes in its count
| Microsoft Word (desktop) | Body text; footnotes/endnotes/text boxes only when the dialog checkbox is ticked |
| Word for the web | Body text only; no include-footnotes option |
| Google Docs | Visible body text; headers, footers and footnotes excluded |
| This site (.docx drop) | Main document text, read locally in your browser; headers/footers excluded |
| Plain .txt file | Everything in the file — no hidden parts exist |
Drop your .docx into the word counter
How do I check the word count of a docx without Word?
Open it in Google Docs, or drop the file into a browser-based counter like this one — the count appears instantly and the file never leaves your device.
Does Word count footnotes and text boxes?
Only if the "Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes" checkbox in the Word Count dialog is ticked. That's the most common reason two people get different counts from the same file.
Is it safe to upload a confidential document to an online word counter?
Only if the counter processes the file locally. This site's counter reads the .docx entirely inside your browser — nothing is uploaded — which you can verify by loading the page and then going offline before dropping the file.