How-to · Word for Mac
How to see word count in Word on Mac: steps for Microsoft 365 and Word 2024
To see word count in Word on Mac, click the count in the status bar at the bottom of the window. For part of a document, select the text first, then choose Tools > Word Count.
Quick answer
- Click the word count in the status bar to open the Word Count box with pages, words, characters, paragraphs and lines.
- To count part of a document, select the text first, then choose Tools > Word Count.
- Review > Proofing > Word Count gives you the same box from the ribbon.
- Microsoft's word count page lists no keyboard shortcut. You can set your own under Tools > Customize Keyboard.
- Word for Mac does not show a live count while you type. Click the count when you need a new total.
What you need
- Word for Mac from Microsoft 365, Word 2024 or Word 2021
- A Word document open in the front window
- Text selected only if you want a count for one section
How to See the word count in Word on Mac in Word on a Mac
Open the document in Word
Open the Word document you want to count. Make Word the active app, so its menu bar appears at the top of the screen. The count always belongs to the document in the front window.
Click the word count in the status bar
Look at the bottom of the Word window. The status bar shows the word count. Click that count once. Word opens the Word Count box.
Tip: If no count shows, right-click the status bar and select Word Count.
Read the Word Count box
The box lists pages, words, characters, paragraphs and lines. With no text selected, the figures cover the whole document. Read the words figure for a word limit, and the characters figure for a character limit.
Tip: Close the box when you finish. Reopen it after each set of edits to see a new total.
Select the part you want to count
Drag across the text, or click at the start and shift-click at the end. The status bar then shows the selection and the whole document, so you can compare them.
Tip: A selection can start in the middle of a sentence. Check the highlighted text before you read the total.
Choose Word Count from the Tools menu
With the selection still highlighted, open the Tools menu in the menu bar. Choose Word Count. The box opens with figures for the selected text only.
Tip: Click once in the text to clear the selection. The box then shows the whole document again.
Or use the Review tab
Click the Review tab in the ribbon. In the Proofing group, click Word Count. The Word Count box opens. Use this route if you already work from the ribbon.
Tip: If the buttons look small, the window may be narrow. Look for the Proofing group on the Review tab.
16.114.3
Latest Word for Mac build in Microsoft's release notes, dated October 27, 2026, with quality fixes only
Release notes for Office for Mac, Microsoft LearnWhich Word versions this guide covers
These steps apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021 on a Mac. Microsoft's support page covers all three for Mac and Windows. Older versions are not covered by that page, so check their menus if the labels look different. Start with the status bar, then look for Word Count in the Tools menu.
What the Word Count box tells you
The Word Count box lists pages, words, characters, paragraphs and lines. With nothing selected, it counts the whole document. Pages and words are the figures most people need. Characters matter when a form or a platform sets a character limit.
The box is a snapshot. It shows the count at the moment you open it. If you keep typing, open the box again to get a new total.
Count one section instead of the whole document
A partial count helps when a limit applies to one part of a file. A short abstract, a cover letter stored in a larger document, or a single chapter can each have its own limit. Select that text first, and the box counts only what you highlighted.
Watch the status bar while you select. It shows the selection and the whole document, so you can compare the two. That makes it easy to see how much of the file your selection covers.
Clicking once in the text clears the selection. After that, the count returns to the whole document. Forgetting this step often leads to a number that looks wrong.
Footnotes, endnotes and captions
The Word Count box has a footnotes and endnotes checkbox. Its setting decides whether those notes count. Clear it to leave notes out of the total. Check its state before you read the number, so you know what the figure includes.
Captions are handled differently. Captions made with Word's caption feature are excluded by default, according to a Microsoft Q&A answer. Q&A answers come from community members. Use the official support page for anything your school or employer requires in writing.
Many limits leave out certain parts of a document. Read the rule first, then match your settings to it.
Three routes to the same count
You do not need to memorize one route. Pick the one that fits the task. The table shows when each route works best.
| Route | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Status bar | A quick full-document count | Click the count. Right-click the status bar if it is missing. |
| Tools > Word Count | Counting selected text | Select the text first. Then open Tools and choose Word Count. |
| Review > Proofing > Word Count | Working from the ribbon | Same tool, found in the Proofing group on the Review tab. |
Why Word for Mac has no live count
Older versions of Word for Mac showed a running count while you typed. Microsoft's community answers say that display, called Live Word Count, was removed some time ago. The reason given is performance. It was not restored on Mac.
A 2021 tutorial describes the older menu item as Tools > Show Word Count. That tutorial says the count appeared at the lower-left of the window while you typed. That menu name is out of date. Microsoft's current pages say Tools > Word Count.
Plan around this. Check the count at the moments that matter, such as before you send a file or submit a draft.
Word count in Word for the web
If you open Word in a browser, the count behaves differently. Word for the web updates the count as you type. If you cannot see it, click Edit Document, then choose Edit in Word for the web.
To hide or show the count on the web, go to Review > Word Count. Clear the Show Word Count checkbox to hide it. Tick it again to show it. Microsoft documents this path for the web only, so the Mac desktop app may differ.
Set your own keyboard shortcut for word count
Microsoft's word count page lists no keyboard shortcut. Some third-party snippets show Mac key combinations, but those are not verified. Ctrl+Shift+G is a Windows assignment, and Mac Word has no default for this command.
If you want a shortcut, make your own. These steps follow Microsoft's custom shortcut page.
- Open Tools > Customize Keyboard.
- Choose a tab in Categories, then choose the command in Commands.
- Click the Press new keyboard shortcut box.
- Press a combination with Command, Control, Option or Shift, plus another key.
- Click Add.
If Word shows Currently assigned to, the combination is taken. Pick another. If Remove is greyed out, the shortcut is a default and cannot be deleted. Reset All under Tools > Customize Keyboard restores the original shortcuts.
Mistakes people make with word counts
- Reading the number with text still selected. The total then covers only the highlighted part.
- Ignoring the footnotes and endnotes checkbox. Notes can change a total you thought you knew.
- Counting, editing, then reading the old number. The box shows the count from when you opened it.
- Following an old guide. Tools > Show Word Count is now Tools > Word Count.
- Expecting the total to update as you type. Click the count to open a fresh box.
Check the number before you submit
Before you send or submit, run through three checks. Confirm that nothing is selected. Confirm the footnote setting. Decide whether captions belong in the total, based on the rule you must follow.
Keep a copy of the version you counted. If an editor or a reviewer asks for the number, you can show the file that produced it. Save it with a clear name, such as a date or a version label.
Which Word build you are running
Microsoft's release notes list Word for Mac 16.114.3, Build 26102720, as the latest release. It came out on October 27, 2026. The notes list quality and performance improvements only.
The recent 16.114.x updates do not mention word count, the status bar or the Review tab. That makes a menu change unlikely in those builds. It does not prove your copy matches. Check the menu names yourself before you rely on a label.
What to do after you have the count
A word count usually comes late in a draft. Once the length is right, check the layout. Page numbers are a common next step, and so is a table of contents for longer files. Read how to add page numbers in Word on Mac or how to insert a table of contents in Word on Mac.
If someone else will edit the file, turn on Track Changes in Word on Mac first. That lets you see what changed before you accept it.
If it does not work
- The status bar shows no word count
- Right-click the status bar and select Word Count. The count returns, and you can click it to open the box.
- An old guide says Tools > Show Word Count
- That name is out of date. Open the Tools menu and look for Word Count. Microsoft's current pages use that label.
- You expected a count that updates as you type
- Word for Mac does not show the old Live Word Count display. Click the count in the status bar when you want a new total.
- The total includes notes you do not want
- Open Tools > Word Count and clear the footnotes and endnotes checkbox. Then read the total again.
- Ctrl+Shift+G does nothing on your Mac
- That shortcut belongs to Windows. Use the menu route, or set your own under Tools > Customize Keyboard.
- No count appears in Word for the web
- Click Edit Document, then choose Edit in Word for the web. The count updates as you type in that view.
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Questions people ask
Is there a keyboard shortcut for word count in Word on Mac?
Microsoft's word count page lists no keyboard shortcut. Mac Word has no default for this command, and Ctrl+Shift+G is a Windows assignment. You can assign your own under Tools > Customize Keyboard.
Does the word count include footnotes and endnotes?
It depends on the footnotes and endnotes checkbox in the Word Count box. Clear it to leave notes out of the total. Check its state before you read the number.
Are captions included in the count?
Captions made with Word's caption feature are excluded by default, according to a Microsoft Q&A answer. Check the rule your document must follow, since some limits count captions and some do not.
Can I see the word count update while I type?
Not in Word for Mac. The Live Word Count display from older versions was removed and not restored on Mac, according to Microsoft Q&A. Word for the web does update as you type.
Which versions of Word does this apply to?
Microsoft's support page covers Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021, on Mac and Windows. The latest Word for Mac build in Microsoft's release notes is 16.114.3.
Why does my count look too low?
Usually a selection is active. When you open the box with text highlighted, it counts only that text. Click once in the text to clear the selection, then open the count again.
Why does my count look too high?
Footnotes, endnotes or text outside the section you meant may be included. Check the footnotes and endnotes checkbox in Tools > Word Count, and confirm that nothing extra is selected.
Sources
- Show word count, Microsoft Support · Microsoft · checked 2026-11-07
- Live Word Count in Settings (Word for Mac), Microsoft Q&A · Microsoft Learn Q&A · checked 2026-11-07
- How to get a word count excluding footnotes and captions for illustrations (Word for Mac), Microsoft Q&A · Microsoft Learn Q&A · checked 2026-11-07
- Create a custom keyboard shortcut for Word for Mac, Microsoft Support · Microsoft · checked 2026-11-07
- Release notes for Office for Mac, Microsoft Learn · Microsoft · checked 2026-11-07
- How to Show the Word Count in Microsoft Word for Mac, MacInstruct · MacInstruct · checked 2026-11-07
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