Summary

You can view your Word document’s character count on your desktop and mobile devices by accessing the app’s “Review” tab and selecting the “Word Count” option. In Word for Windows and Mac, you can also add the character counter to the app’s status bar.

Microsoft Word makes it super easy to count the number of characters in your documents. You can use the status bar or the dedicated Word Count option to view that information. Here’s how to do that on your Windows, Mac, the web, iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Select “Character Count (With Spaces)” in the menu.

By default, Word displays the character count for your entire document. If you’d like to find the count for specific text, then before using the methods below,select and highlight that textin your document.

Related:How to Check the Word Count in Microsoft Word

Check the Character Count in Word’s Desktop App

In Word’s app for Windows and Mac, you can findthe character countusing the status bar or the Word Count option. Here’s how to use both options.

Using the Status Bar

The status baris the bar that appears at the bottom of a Word window. This bar already displays the total word count for your document, and you can edit it to display the character count as well.

To do that, open your document with Word. Then, right-click the status bar at the bottom and choose “Character Count (With Spaces).”

Character count in Word’s status bar.

You’ll now see your current document’s character count in the status bar.

To see how many characters are in a specific section of text, highlight that text and then look at the character count again.

Click the “Review” tab at the top.

Related:How to Highlight Text in Microsoft Word

Using the Word Count Tool

Another way to check your document’s character count is by using the Word Count option in the Word’s ribbon. This option displays other information as well, such as the total word count, paragraph count, line count, and more.

To use it, while your document is open, select the “Review” tab fromWord’s ribbon at the top.

Select “Word Count."

On the “Review” tab, in the “Proofing” section, click “Word Count.”

A “Word Count” window will open. Here, you’ll find your current character count as well as other counts.

Character count in Word’s “Word Count” window.

View the Letter Count in Word’s Web App

Finding the character count in Word’s web app is also easy. To do that, open your preferred desktop web browser, launchWord, and access your document.

On your document screen, in Word’s ribbon at the top, select the “Review” tab.

Choose the “Review” tab at the top.

On the “Review” tab, click the “Word Count” option.

A “Document Stats” window will open, letting you see your document’s total character count.

Word’s app for iPhone and Android doesn’t make it easy to find the character count, but the option does exist, and here’s how to access it.

Select “Word Count."

First, launch the Word app on youriPhoneorAndroid phone. Then, open the document in which you want to find the character count.

At the top of your document, tap the pencil icon. Then, in the same toolbar, tap the icon that has an A and a pencil in it.

Character count in Word’s “Document Stats” window.

In the menu that opens, tap “Home” and choose “Review.”

In the “Review” menu, select “Word Count.”

Tap the icon of an A and a pencil.

On the “Word Count” panel, you’ll see your document’s total character count.

Just like in the desktop version of Word, you can highlight specific parts of your document before opening the character count to see the number of characters in that particular section.

Select “Home” and choose “Review."

Finding the character count in Word for iPad is easier. Simply open your document with the app, select the “Review” tab at the top, and tap the “Word Count” option.

And that’s how you know the number of characters your document contains. While you’re at it, learn how to find thepage count for multiple Word documents.