Whether you are a student trying to hit a specific essay length, a freelance writer working to a strict word limit, or a novelist tracking daily progress, knowing your exact word count is essential. While Microsoft Word has always provided a way to check your word count via a pop-up window, constantly opening menus interrupts your writing flow. If you are working to a target, the most efficient method is to configure Word to display a live, updating word count directly on your screen as you type.
How to Enable the Live Word Count
The live word count is displayed in Microsoft Word’s Status Bar, which runs along the very bottom edge of the application window (below your document).
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Look at the dark grey (or blue, depending on your theme) Status Bar at the bottom of the Word window.
- Right-click anywhere on an empty space on this Status Bar.
- A long menu titled “Customize Status Bar” will pop up.
- Look through the list and find Word Count.
- Click on Word Count so that a small checkmark (✓) appears next to it.
- Click anywhere outside the menu to close it.
Using the Live Word Count
Now, look at the bottom left corner of your screen on the Status Bar. You will see a live counter (e.g., “Words: 1,452”).
As you type new words, this number will increase automatically in real-time. There is no need to manually refresh it or click any buttons.
Pro-Tip: Checking the Word Count of a Specific Paragraph
The live counter displays the total number of words in the entire document by default.
However, if you want to know the length of a specific section (for example, you need a 200-word introduction), simply use your mouse to highlight that specific paragraph.
Look down at the Status Bar again. The counter will instantly change its format to show the selected text versus the total length (e.g., “Words: 185 of 1,452”). The moment you click away to un-highlight the text, the counter reverts to showing the total document length.