Word count in Google Docs
The shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+C (Windows/Chromebook) or ⌘+Shift+C (Mac). Here’s every way to see it, including a live counter while you type.
1. The keyboard shortcut
Press Ctrl+Shift+C (or ⌘+Shift+C on Mac). A box shows pages, words, characters, and characters excluding spaces. Select text first to count just the selection.
2. Live count while typing
Open Tools → Word count and tick “Display word count while typing.” A counter stays pinned bottom-left; click it to switch between words and characters. It resets to hidden each new document.
3. On mobile
In the Google Docs app, tap the ⋮ menu (top right) → Word count. Selection counting works there too.
What Google Docs counts (and doesn’t)
Docs counts whitespace-separated words — hyphenated words count once, numbers count as words, and footnotes are excluded. Headers and footers aren’t counted. If your teacher or editor counts differently, paste into our word counter and switch the counting rules to match — it shows sentences, paragraphs, reading time and readability at the same time, and nothing you paste leaves your browser.
Related
Word counter · Words to pages · How many pages is 1,000 words?