Word count serves as one way to measure the length of a document. For example, many professional marketing or product papers are between 2,500 and half-dozen,000 words. Blog post lengths vary, yet often end up somewhere between 400 and 1,700 words. Workshop descriptions and speaker biographies for conferences ofttimes must be no more than 100 (or so) words.

Here's how to obtain the word count for an entire Google Doc, or for a selected section of text, in your browser, or in the Google Doc apps for Android and iOS. You'll also learn which content is included in the discussion count.

See: G Suite: Tips and tricks for business professionals (complimentary PDF) (TechRepublic)

How to get the word count in a Google Physician

Google Docs can display the word count in a browser and in the Google Physician apps for Android and iOS. To view the give-and-take count, follow these steps (Figure A).

  • On a laptop or a desktop computer: Open your Google Doc in Chrome | cull Tools | select Word Count. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+C or, on an Apple keyboard, Command+Shift+C.
  • On an Android device: Open your Google Medico in the app | tap the vertical iii dot menu (in the upper right corner) | tap Word Count.
  • On an iOS device: Open your Google Doc in the app | tap the horizontal three dot carte du jour (in the upper right corner) | tap Word Count.

Effigy A

The system will show word count, overall character count–the number of messages, symbols, numbers, and spaces, and graphic symbol count excluding spaces. On a laptop or a desktop computer in Chrome, the organization as well shows the number of pages in your Google Medico.

How to go the word count for selected text in a Google Doc

You may also check the word count of a portion of your document. Select some text within your Google Doc and then admission the word count following the steps outlined above. The organisation will show the word count for your selection in add-on to the word count totals for the Google Doc (Figure B).

Figure B

What is–and is not–included in the word count?

Google Docs discussion count excludes content in headers, footers, and footnotes. It likewise doesn't count symbols–such as the "<" or ">" signs–as words; even so, it does count em dashes.

According to Google Docs, when I select the preceding paragraph, the organization counts 27 words, 180 characters, and 152 characters, excluding spaces. A manual check shows 29 words, plus the 2 em dashes, to produce the result of 31 words.

Google Docs word count includes some words constitute in long links (i.e., URLs). For example, if I select this long link to another TechRepublic article, https://www.techrepublic.com/commodity/how-to-create-a-long-dash-in-google-docs/, the system counts the link as vi words. If y'all take a document with numerous long links displayed in total, be aware that the system'southward discussion count might be higher than a manual word count might indicate.

Reading estimates based on give-and-take count

Word count may also assist yous estimate reading fourth dimension. A general estimating rule is to assume that an average adult will read approximately 250 words per minute, so a standard 1,000 discussion document, for example, might accept about four minutes to read.

Reading speed may vary based on the content. It may take longer to read complex, technical text filled with unfamiliar terms than it would to read a standard, elementary letter. Different people read at unlike speeds; you might adjust your gauge to 200 words per minute for difficult content (or less experienced readers) to 300 words per infinitesimal for easy content (and expert readers).

Your thoughts?

How do y'all use the word count feature in Google Docs? Is this something you employ mostly in a browser or in a mobile Google Doc app? Does the word count displayed accurately reflect how you would manually count the words? Let me know in the comments, or on Twitter (@awolber). If yous do tweet at me, call up that you can select some text in a Google Doc then use the give-and-take count characteristic to make sure the character count of your text is less than the Twitter limit of 280 characters.