Count the text you actually need to submit
Select the relevant passage before you paste it. A title, reference list, footnote or caption may belong inside or outside a limit. Follow the assignment or publication rules and keep a note of that choice. If a document contains several required parts, measure them separately before you add a total. A smaller number is not automatically the correct number.
What counts as a word here
The counter groups letters, combining marks and numbers. An apostrophe or hyphen inside a word stays with it, so “don’t” and “well-known” each count as one token. A standalone punctuation mark is not a word. Repeated spaces do not create extra words. This is a declared counting convention; a submission platform may use a different one.
Worked example
A clear message.
| Words | 3 |
|---|---|
| Characters with spaces | 16 |
| Without spaces | 14 |
Check a limit without changing the meaning
Enter the maximum in the limit field. The remaining amount updates with the draft; a negative margin tells you how much it exceeds the target. Remove repetition or material outside the task before cutting a condition, a date or a qualification. Recount after editing, because replacement text can add words as well as remove them.
Importing a document changes the scope
TXT, DOCX and text-based PDF files can be read locally. DOCX extraction includes body text and tables but excludes headers, footers, notes, text boxes, comments and deleted revisions. A PDF can return a different column order. Compare a paragraph at the beginning and end, and include omitted required parts separately. Scanned pages require OCR first.
Keep a result that can be checked
Download the count report after your final edit and save the actual text separately. The report records statistics without embedding the draft. Reading and speaking times use editable speed assumptions. Neither the number of words nor a calculated duration proves that a text is accurate, useful or easy to understand.