What Counts Toward a Word Count?
Microsoft Word counts everything in the body of your document, including the title, headings, quotes, and a typed reference list. Your word limit may not. This page shows what Word includes, how to count only the parts that matter, and what common rules leave out.
To get the number straight away, upload your document to the word count without citations tool and tick the parts your limit leaves out.
What Microsoft Word Includes in Its Count
| Part of the document | In Word's count? | How to control it |
|---|---|---|
| Body text, headings, and titles | Always | Select only the part your limit covers before opening Word Count. |
| Quotations and in-text citations | Always | They are body text, so they are in the total. |
| Tables | Always | Select around a table to leave it out. |
| Reference list or bibliography | Always, if typed in the body | Select from the first line to the end of the conclusion. |
| Footnotes and endnotes | Only with the checkbox on | Tick or untick "Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes". |
| Text boxes | Only with the checkbox on | Same checkbox as footnotes and endnotes. |
| Headers and footers | Never | Select the header text itself to count it. |
The checkbox is at the bottom of the Word Count dialog: press Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows or ⌘ Cmd+Shift+G on Mac. With Track Changes on, the count also depends on the markup view; see how Word counts tracked changes.
How to Count Only the Parts That Count
- Open the Word Count dialog and set the footnotes checkbox to match your rules.
- Click at the start of the first counted paragraph, then Shift-click at the end of the last one, for example the end of your conclusion.
- To skip a block in the middle, such as a table or a long quote, hold Ctrl (Mac: ⌘ Cmd) and select each counted section separately. See counting non-contiguous selections.
- Read the selection count in the status bar, for example "2,480 of 3,215 words".
On the online word counter, an uploaded .docx file is counted as body text plus footnotes, without headers, footers, or endnotes. Pasted text is counted in full.
Essays, Theses, and Dissertations
Style guides such as APA, MLA, and Chicago describe formatting, not word limits. The limit and what it covers come from your instructor, department, journal, or publisher, so their instructions always win. Common practice is:
- Usually excluded: title page, abstract, reference list or bibliography, and appendices.
- Usually included: headings, quotations, and in-text citations.
- Varies most: footnotes and endnotes. Notes that add discussion are more often counted than notes that only cite a source.
Federal Appellate Briefs (FRAP 32)
Under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 32, a principal brief may contain up to 13,000 words and a reply brief half that, 6,500 words. Headings, footnotes, and quotations count toward the limit. The certificate of compliance may rely on the word count of the word-processing system used to prepare the brief, so tick the footnotes checkbox in Word before you read the number.
Items FRAP 32(f) excludes from the count
- Cover page
- Disclosure statement
- Table of contents
- Table of citations
- Statement regarding oral argument
- Addendum containing statutes, rules, or regulations
- Certificate of counsel
- Signature block
- Proof of service
- Any item specifically excluded by the rules or by local rule
Circuit rules can set different limits. To check several briefs or motions at once, use the batch word counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do footnotes count in a word count?
It depends on your rules. Microsoft Word only counts footnotes when "Include textboxes, footnotes and endnotes" is ticked in the Word Count dialog. Federal appellate briefs under FRAP 32 must count footnotes; many universities leave the decision to the course or department, so check the assignment brief.
Does the reference list or bibliography count toward the word count?
Usually not, but Microsoft Word counts it if it is typed in the body of the document. To leave it out, select the text from the first line to the end of your conclusion and read the count for the selection.
Does the title count toward the word count?
Word counts the title because it is body text. Many assignments leave out the title page, so select the text below it if your limit only covers the essay itself.
Do quotes and in-text citations count toward the word count?
Usually yes. Quotations and in-text citations are part of the body text, and Microsoft Word always counts them. FRAP 32 states that quotations count toward a brief's limit.
Do headings count toward the word count?
Microsoft Word counts headings, because they are body text. FRAP 32 also counts headings toward a brief's limit. For essays, check your instructions.
Related Guides
Learn what Word counts as one word, or turn your word count into a page estimate.