Writing workflow
How to Count Words in Google Docs
Google Docs has a built-in word count, but an online word counter can be useful when you also need character count, reading time, speaking time, repeated words, or a downloadable text report.
In Google Docs, open the Tools menu and choose Word count. For a deeper check, copy the text into the Word Counter to see words, characters, sentences, paragraphs, reading time, speaking time, and keyword frequency.
When Google Docs word count is enough
- You only need the total word count of the document.
- You are checking a quick assignment target.
- You want to count a selected section inside the document.
When a separate word counter helps
- You need character count with and without spaces.
- You want to estimate reading time or speaking time.
- You want to find repeated words or two-word phrases.
- You need to clean copied spacing before submitting text elsewhere.
If the text came from several sources, clean it first with the Text Cleaner. For essays, also see the Essay Word Count Guide.
Related tools
Word Counter, Character Counter, and Word Frequency Counter.