How to Use Word Count in Microsoft Word?

If you’re a writer, you know how important it is to keep track of your word count. Whether you’re writing a novel, essay, or blog post, it’s essential to know how many words you’ve written and how much more you have to go. Fortunately, Microsoft Word makes it easy to track your word count. In this article, we’ll show you how to use Word Count in Microsoft Word to keep track of your writing progress.

Using Word Count to Track Your Document’s Length

Word count is an important metric that writers should be aware of when creating documents. Knowing the length of a document can help you meet length requirements or stay within a certain word count range. Microsoft Word makes it easy to check the length of your document with its built-in word count feature. Here’s how to use it.

To start, open the document you want to check the word count for in Microsoft Word. Then, look for the “Review” tab at the top of the application. Click on it and you’ll find the “Word Count” option in the ribbon. Click on it and a dialogue box will appear on the screen.

This dialogue box will show you the total number of words in the document, as well as the number of characters, paragraphs, and lines. It also shows the amount of non-printing characters, including spaces, tabs, and line breaks. You can use this tool to quickly see the length of your document.

Finding a Specific Word Count Range

If you need to find a specific word count range in your document, you can use the “Find” option. To do so, click on the “Home” tab and select “Find”. Then, type in the range you want to search for (e.g., “200-400”). The search results will show you all the words within the range you specified.

If you want to find out how many words are in a certain section of your document, you can use the “Select” button to select the part of the document you want to search for the word count. Then, go back to the “Review” tab and select the “Word Count” option. The dialogue box will update to show the word count for the selected section of the document.

Checking Word Count from the Status Bar

If you want to quickly check the word count of your document, you can also view it from the status bar at the bottom of the window. The status bar shows the total number of words and characters in the document, as well as the number of pages. This is a convenient option if you need to quickly check the length of your document.

Using the Word Count Tool for Statistics

The Word Count tool can also be used for other purposes, such as gathering statistics about the document. For example, you can use it to find out how many times a certain word appears in the document. To do this, go to the “Review” tab and select the “Word Count” option. Then, type in the word you want to search for and the dialogue box will show you the number of times it appears.

You can also use the Word Count tool to check the average number of words per sentence. To do this, go to the “Review” tab and select the “Word Count” option. Then, select the “More” button and you’ll see an option to “Count words in a sentence”. Select this option and the dialogue box will show you the average number of words per sentence.

Using Word Count to Edit Your Document

The Word Count tool can also be used to help you edit your document. For example, you can use it to quickly identify which sentences or paragraphs are too long and need to be shortened. To do this, go to the “Review” tab and select the “Word Count” option. Then, select the “More” button and you’ll see an option to “Count words in a paragraph”. Select this option and the dialogue box will show you the number of words in each paragraph.

You can also use the Word Count tool to identify which sentences are too short and need to be expanded. To do this, go to the “Review” tab and select the “Word Count” option. Then, select the “More” button and you’ll see an option to “Count words in a sentence”. Select this option and the dialogue box will show you the number of words in each sentence.

Using Word Count to Find Repetitive Words

Word Count can also be used to identify which words you’re using too often in your document. To do this, go to the “Review” tab and select the “Word Count” option. Then, select the “More” button and you’ll see an option to “Count words by type”. Select this option and the dialogue box will show you the number of times each word appears in the document.

If you find that you’re using certain words too often, you can replace them with more appropriate words or phrases. This can help to make your document more interesting and readable.

Conclusion

Microsoft Word’s Word Count feature is a useful tool that can help you track the length of your document, as well as identify which words you’re using too often. With this tool, you can quickly check the length of your document, find a specific word count range, check word count from the status bar, use the tool for statistics, and find repetitive words.

Few Frequently Asked Questions

What is Word Count in Microsoft Word?

Word Count in Microsoft Word is a feature that allows users to quickly and easily view how many words, characters, and paragraphs are in a document. It can be accessed from the Review tab of the Ribbon. Word Count can be used to check the length of a document or to compare the length of two documents.

Where can I find Word Count in Microsoft Word?

Word Count can be found in the Review tab of the Ribbon. It is located in the Proofing group, under the Spelling & Grammar section. It can also be accessed by clicking on the Word Count button that appears when selecting text in a document.

What information does Word Count display?

Word Count displays the total number of words, characters (with or without spaces), and paragraphs in the document. It also displays the number of lines and the number of pages.

Can I use Word Count to compare the length of two documents?

Yes, Word Count can be used to compare the length of two documents. To do this, open both documents and select the Review tab. Then, click on the Word Count button in the Proofing group. This will open a pop-up window that displays the Word Count of both documents.

Are there any other uses for Word Count?

Word Count can be used to quickly check the length of a document. It can also be used to find out if a document has a minimum or maximum word count requirement. In addition, Word Count can be used to check the accuracy of a document, as it will display the total number of words in the document.

How do I update the Word Count of a document?

The Word Count of a document can be updated by clicking on the Word Count button in the Proofing group of the Review tab. This will open a pop-up window that displays the current Word Count. To update the Word Count, click on the “Update Now” button at the bottom of the window. This will cause Word Count to recalculate the total number of words, characters, and paragraphs in the document.

Microsoft Word’s word count feature is a great tool for anyone who needs to track the length of their documents. It helps you stay focused on the content at hand and ensures you don’t end up with a document that is too long or too short. Whether you’re an experienced writer or a beginner, learning how to use the word count feature in Microsoft Word will help you stay organized and on track. So the next time you need to know the length of a document, make sure you take advantage of this useful feature.