#CHARACTER COUNT GOOGLE DOCS HOW TO#

But when I highlight the text and count using Google Docs, the word count appears as 60, because Google Docs didn’t count either of the symbols or the em-dash without spaces.Ĭounting words can be a little like losing weight. If you type it like-this, Google Docs doesn’t count the em-dash.įor example, I count 63 words in the above paragraph when I count manually, because I take symbols into consideration.

#CHARACTER COUNT GOOGLE DOCS HOW TO#

(Curious about how to type an em dash? It stumps a lot of writers, but we’ve got a simple guide.) Keep in mind, it only counts an em-dash as a word if there are spaces on either side of it. It does include em-dashes, which look like - this. It does count them as characters, though. Google Docs also doesn’t count symbols, such as # or $, in its word count. It doesn’t count anything in the header, footer or footnotes, even if you highlight the words in those sections and select Word count. What is not included in the word count?īe aware that Google Docs does not include certain things in its word count. (Why that number? I have no idea.) It will just say View word count, and you can click on the rectangle to see the details. Once your document exceeds 3,676 words, the rectangle no longer shows the number of words. Is the rectangle becoming annoying? Click that arrow and select Hide word count to get it out of your hair. A small rectangle pops up in the lower left corner of the Google Doc that displays the word count.Ĭlick the rectangle’s arrow to see the number of pages, characters and characters excluding spaces. Then select Display word count while typing.

You don’t want to finish a draft only to discover it’s 1,800 words, then make heavy edits before you can submit the piece.Įither click on Word count or use the shortcut to bring up that little box. Let’s say an editor instructs you to keep an article under 1,200 words. This strategy is for the third category of writers. How to view word count in Google Docs as you type

This time, the box will display how many pages, words, characters and characters excluding spaces are in this chunk of text with respect to the total number in the Google Doc. Highlight the relevant text, then either select Word count under Tools or use the Ctrl+Shift+C shortcut for the box to pop up. How to check word count in Google Docs for a chunk of textĭo you get the hunch that chapter three of your novel is running a bit long? There’s a way to check word count in Google Docs without copying and pasting the chapter’s text into a separate document. There’s a second way to check your word count in Google Docs: use the shortcut! Just hit Ctrl+Shift+C for the box to appear. Take a look and press OK when you’re ready to hide the box.Ģ. In the upper left corner of Google Docs, click on Tools and scroll down to Word count.Ī box will pop up that displays the number of pages, words, characters and characters excluding spaces in the Google Doc.

(If you’re in the third group, don’t worry, there’s a method for you, too!)ġ. If you fall into either of the first two categories, here are two strategies for viewing word count in Google Docs. When it comes to word count, there are three types of writers: Those who look at the word count after completing a draft, those who prefer to check in every once in a while and those who want to see the word count throughout the entire process. How many words in a novel? Did you know novels should be at least 50,000 words? And that memoirs should be under 100,000 words, but biographies can be up to 200,000 words?Īs a writer, do you compose drafts in Google Docs? (Here at The Write Life, we’re pretty big fans of track changes in Google Docs.) You may be wondering how to see the word count in Google Docs. Word count matters for book writers, too. Many publications determine how much to pay for freelance writing jobs based on article length. In the world of writing, word count matters more than we might think. I can’t count the number of times an editor has assigned me a word count for a piece. “The article should be 800 words…maximum.”

Character count google docs