how do we count words in essay

Essay Word Counter

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What Is Essay Word Counter?

An essay word counter is a simple yet powerful tool that has the ability to quickly count the number of characters and words within an essay. While the primary goal of an essay word counter is to measure characters and words, this tool allows you to determine the number of sentences and paragraphs that your essay consists of.

If you're tasked with reading your essay aloud in front of a classroom, this online word counter can help you prepare by providing you with an estimated speaking time and reading time. If you're asking yourself "How do I count the words in my essay?", plugging your essay into an online word counter will allow you to receive nearly instantaneous results.

Benefits of Using This Tool Compared to Alternatives

Online word counter tools offer the functionality you need to determine what your current essay word count is. There are several additional tools that can provide you with similar functionality, which include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and PDF documents. Even though all of these alternatives allow users to measure the word count and character count for their essay, they lack many of the extra features that set the online tool apart from the competition.

Wordcounter vs Microsoft Word

When comparing this online word counter to Microsoft Word, the online word counter allows users to paste any kind of text into the box. Even if the text comes from a PDF file, it can be easily copied into the word counter. Among all of the alternatives for an essay word counter, Microsoft Word may be the most comprehensive of the three. Along with measuring the number of words, it can also count characters, pages, lines, and paragraphs. The main issue with Word, however, is that it's less intuitive than using an online tool.

When you click on word count in Microsoft Word, you'll be provided with data on the lines, paragraphs, words, and other aspects of your essay. However, the word count extends to every page of the Word document. To identify the number of words and characters in a specific section, you'll need to highlight the section and select the word count option again.

Wordcounter vs Google Docs

As for Google Docs, this tool doesn't display a status bar that tells you how many words are present in the document. To receive an updated word count, you must select the "Tools" tab that's found in the "Menu" section. From here, you'll be able to select "Word Count". When compared to the online word checker tool, Google Docs doesn't include information about how many sentences are in your essay or the frequency of a specific word.

Wordcounter vs PDF Tool

When it comes to a PDF document, you'll find that these documents are similar to Google Docs in that they don't include a status bar. You're also unable to access any kind of menu that allows you to view the word count of the essay you're writing. There are two distinct options for identifying the word count in your essay. First, you can convert the PDF file into what's known as the Rich Text Format, which makes it easier for you to count the words. You could also upload the file directly into this online word counter, which will give you an accurate word total.

The primary benefit of using the online word counter tool is that there are a number of exclusive features like speaking time and reading time that can't be found in other tools like Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Essay Length Best Practices

Whether you're writing an essay for a high school class or for graduate school, there are some best practices that can guide you through the process and help you write the best essay. The most important element of writing an essay is getting the length right. If the essay is too long, there's a good chance it isn't as succinct and direct as it should be. The essay length guidelines you should adhere to include:

High school essay

The average essay word count for a high school essay is 300-1,000 words. Most high school essays are five paragraphs long with an introductory paragraph, three total body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph.

College admission essay

This essay should be around 200-650 words long. Along with having a set word limit, these essays should include a look at your motivations and interests.

Undergraduate essay

This essay can be around 1,500-5,000 words long. The content and length depend on the college and program you're entering.

Graduate admission essay

An admission essay should be 500-1,000 words in length. Make sure you include a lengthy personal statement that details your motivations and academic achievements.

Graduate school essay

This extended essay word count is usually around 2,500-6,000 words. The assignment you receive depends on the course you're in. Most graduate-level essays are lengthy and can involve research papers.

IB extended essay

The IB extended essay word count is 4,000 words. This essay is mandatory for every student of the International Baccalaureate program and is based on independent research.

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What is WordCounter?

Apart from counting words and characters, our online editor can help you to improve word choice and writing style, and, optionally, help you to detect grammar mistakes and plagiarism. To check word count, simply place your cursor into the text box above and start typing. You'll see the number of characters and words increase or decrease as you type, delete, and edit them. You can also copy and paste text from another program over into the online editor above. The Auto-Save feature will make sure you won't lose any changes while editing, even if you leave the site and come back later. Tip: Bookmark this page now.

Knowing the word count of a text can be important. For example, if an author has to write a minimum or maximum amount of words for an article, essay, report, story, book, paper, you name it. WordCounter will help to make sure its word count reaches a specific requirement or stays within a certain limit.

In addition, WordCounter shows you the top 10 keywords and keyword density of the article you're writing. This allows you to know which keywords you use how often and at what percentages. This can prevent you from over-using certain words or word combinations and check for best distribution of keywords in your writing.

In the Details overview you can see the average speaking and reading time for your text, while Reading Level is an indicator of the education level a person would need in order to understand the words you’re using.

Disclaimer: We strive to make our tools as accurate as possible but we cannot guarantee it will always be so.

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How to Count Words: 8 Step-by-Step Guide

Are you wondering how to count words efficiently and accurately on your written pieces? This guide will walk you step-by-step through the process.

When you are writing pieces for academic settings or professional settings, you often need to have an accurate word count. Your professor or boss may ask for a piece within a specific word count range, and hitting that range is essential. Yet if you are writing a 1,000-word piece, you likely don’t want to spend time counting words.

Thankfully, there are tools you can use to count your words even as you write. Yet even with these tools, knowing how to count words and what words count for your paper is not as simple as you might think. For instance, if your paper has captions or footnotes, you need to know whether they count or not.

As you consider how to count words, remember that you may have a little wiggle room in your word count. Sometimes, your instructions will give you a word count range. Other times, they will give you a target word count that you must hit but can go over. If these stipulations are not posted, a good rule is to reach for the word count, but give yourself a buffer of 10% below or above. Writing precisely to a set word count is incredibly difficult, so most instructions allow a little extra space.

Counting words in a written document does create some challenges. These steps will help you overcome those challenges and get a reasonably accurate count of the words in your piece.

Step 1. Look at the Status Bar

Step 2. add word count in google docs, step 3. include the word count with pages, step 4. use online tools, step 5. skip footnotes and endnotes, step 6. include quoted text in your word count, step 7. be cautious about bullet points.

The easiest way to count words is to look at the word count status bar, if you have one, on the word processor you’re using. Most modern word processors, including Microsoft Word, Open Office and Libre Office, have a status bar that shows the word count and character count. Refer to this bar to see your words counted automatically while you type. You will find the status bar below the editing field in the document. If you do not see it, look at the settings to see if you can change the view and add this field.

Google Docs is a one-word processor that does not show the word count standard on the word processor. You can add it. To do so, go to the Tools menu and select Word Count. When the box pops up, click “Display word count while typing” and “OK.” Now you will see a floating word count combo box near the bottom of the editing area. This will stay in place until you change the setting back at a later date if you choose to do so. You might also find our explainer on how to find the word count in Microsoft Word helpful.

If you have a Mac and are using the Pages word processor, you might not have a word count on your word processor either. To add this, go to the View menu and Select “Show Word Count” from this menu. Once you select this option, you will see a word count box at the bottom of the editing area. It will stay there until you choose to remove it by selecting “Hide Word Count” from the View menu.

Sometimes you will need to use an online tool to count your words. To do this, select the entire document and copy it into your clipboard. Then, go to the online tool and paste the document into the edit area. The tool will tell you the word count.

Some tools that provide this feature include:

• CharacterCounterOnline.com
• NumberOfWords.com
• Tools.Codesnail.com
• EasyWordCount.com
• WordCounter.io
• Originality.ai

Any one of these tools will give you a fairly accurate word count estimate. You can also use them to double-check the word count you get from your word processor or to count the words in just one section of a piece at a time.

If your paper has footnotes or endnotes, they do not count as part of the word count. However, some word processing programs, including Microsoft Word, count these by default. You will need to remove this setting if you are using the program’s word counting tool. To do so, click on the word count in the status bar at the bottom of the page. Next, look for a box labelled ‘include footnotes and endnotes” and uncheck it. Then close the box. This will limit the footnotes and endnotes from the word count.

If you quote something in your paper, it gets included in the word count. So even if the quote is an extended portion of text, it gets included. Be careful with this, though. Teachers frown upon including a long quote in a piece to increase the word count, so make sure the quote is an essential resource for your writing piece.

If you have bullet points in your piece, be careful with these. Some automatic word counting programs will count the bullet itself as a word, but it does not count as a word towards your word count. So if you are using bullet points, consider putting your document through more than one-word counting program to see if the word processor is counting themRunningng close to your word count limits will help ensure you do not go over or fall short because of miscounting bullets as words.

Step 8. Do Not Include Bibliographies and References in the Word Count

Finally, if your work has a bibliography or references page, do not include this in the word count. These are essential parts of your document but are not included in a word count. The word count just wants to have the words in the actual paper or essay.

• Count Small Words – Sometimes, when counting words, you may be confused about what counts as a word. While words are apparent, there are other things in a document that may be less so. For example, short words, like personal pronouns and definite or indefinite articles, still count as words. Prepositions do, as well. So if you use “I,” “he,” “the,” “a,” or “at” in a sentence, those get counted as words.
• Look at Numbers – Numbers are also considered words. This is the same for numbers you write out in word form and numbers in their numeric forms. For example, both “ten” and “8,834” are one word. If you add a symbol, like a dollar sign or a percent sign, the whole number with its symbol is one word. If you add a decimal point or write a fraction, it is still one word.
• Consider Other Special Words – Acronyms, hyphenated words, and contractions are all particular words when you get a word count. If you use an acronym for something else, it counts as only one word. For example, CIA is one word, while Central Intelligence Agency is three. Make sure you use the appropriate form for the style guide your project requires. Even if they are made up of two individual words with a hyphen, hyphen words still count as just one. For example, “mother-in-law” is one word, not three. Study hyphenation rules to use them correctly. Similarly, contractions are just one, even though they stand for two words. “Won’t” is one word while “will not” is two, even though the two have the same meaning.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

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10 Ways to Increase Your Essay Word Count (AI Included)

Table of contents

One of the biggest challenges students face is writing long-form essays of 2,000 words or more.

Someone brought this up at a recent webinar I attended, and I couldn't help but think back to my freshman year. Several years ago, I had to write a long essay on an interesting but unfamiliar subject. It took me a lot longer than it should.

After writing hundreds of articles, essays and reports, I've developed my own list of 'smart hacks' to help increase word count on any written piece. 

Instantly increase your word count with this FREE AI tool > Instantly increase your word count with this FREE AI tool >

Let's dive into the word count expansion strategies I use today when I write various texts.

How NOT to increase word count

Adding fluff words.

Adding meaningless words only confuses the core arguments and distracts the evaluator. Whatever merit your actual content may have had will be obscured by a mountain of meaningless words.

The sentence in my essay read,

"Violent acts by adults are often caused by childhood exposure to violence.".  

If I try to forcedly add fluff words to expand the text, my sentence would sound stretched:

“Violent acts are often associated with the fact that adults who commit violent acts - acts that are seen as savage, harsh, rough, physically abusive, or otherwise unacceptable in society - have been exposed to similar harsh or extreme violence during their childhoods or when they were young”.

Voice and tone

Although passive voice makes a sentence longer, I have found that my writing is much sharper when I use active voice. Also, do not confuse the need to use a formal or academic tone with passive voice.

Quoting without context

This one is like digging yourself into a hole. I quoted so many out-of-context references that I found my essay running on all sorts of tangents. After spending hours trying to connect the dots between the tangents, I ended up having to rewrite the entire piece because I was unable to justify the distracting content. 

Mindless paraphrasing

You hear it from your professor, and spew it back at her. Mindlessly repeating content in different sections of an essay - as if your teacher wouldn't notice, won't really help you ace your courses.

Even more mistakes

After asking some of my classmates, I found out that some of them had resorted to even worse hacks that eventually got them in trouble:

• Using filler words - In order to fill more pages, some diverge from the specified format and increase fonts, margins, and spacing. You will lose credibility if you do this, and you will also lose points if you deviate from the writing style specified.
• Plagiarism - Plagiarizing large chunks from others' essays or research papers was not only seen as lazy, but it was a fast way from a not-so-great grade to a failed grade.
• Other sneaky tricks - These included whitening out gibberish text and increasing the size of periods. Teachers have seen it all and know every trick in the book.

The right way to increase word count

Eventually, my word count increased in a way that makes each word actually count (pardon the pun), and it turns out there are some pretty cool tricks to do that.

With the right tools and techniques, you spend less time on the heavy lifting, more time on the actual writing, and at the end of the day, you have a much more comprehensive essay that is a delight to read. 

1. Use an AI writing tool

Skip the manual paraphrasing and use a smart AI writing tool. For example, I added almost 50 words to a 125-word paragraph using Wordtune’s text expand feature .

How to add more sentences to a paragraph

One method to expand your word count is to find short paragraphs and adding more sentences that clarify what they mean. This task used to be pretty frustrating, but with the use of AI it's made simple. Start by going over the essay, and notice if there's a paragraph that stands out in terms of being lean and overly simplified. Paste that paragraph into the Wordtune editor, and click the 'Plus' icon.

You'll be able to expand the article in any number of ways, including adding a statistical fact, a joke, example, analogy, or a simple continuation of your idea. Then, simply scroll through the different suggestions that AI produces, and find the best one.

2. Take advantage of outlines

It may seem counter-intuitive, but completing your outline can help you meet your word count goal.

Say you need to turn a 200-word article into a 1,500-word essay. Make an outline of the article before trying to tackle this seemingly impossible task of writing the whole piece.This will give you a clearer picture of how your entire thesis works and how to logically support it.

As an example, suppose we're writing an essay on why kids shouldn't play phone games.

To begin, you need to summarize your message in a few sentences. For example:

‍ “Kids have susceptible brains, and games can change the whole chemistry of their brains in a bad way, causing them to go off on tantrums and screaming fits. Moreover, these games form addictive habits that will persist when the kids become older. By continuing to play phone games, the kids fail to develop emotionally, and may become unsocial introverted people. Moreover, there are signs that games make kids more violent and emotionally unstable. Since phones are always at reach, kids can continuously play throughout the day, not stopping even when eating lunch or when attending a school class.”

Before expanding it, write an outline to get a sense of its structure and flow. As a result, you can easily determine how much text is needed for each section, which ones require expanded text, and which ones can be kept brief.  This clarity not only helps me reduce anxiety, but also gives me a clear plan of action to finish this essay!

For example, for the paragraph on video games, my outline would look something like this:

Introduction (include statistics and research to argue that video games are harmful for kids) and state the thesis (250 words) Negative effects of video games on children: first build larger categories and then substantiate with smaller points, evidence and data within each point: - Effects on emotional development (200 words) - Effects on physical development (200 words) - Effects on social development (200 words) - Effects on intellectual development (200 words) Give counter-views Cite research that talks about potential positive effects of video games, if used the proper way and under supervision (250 words) Give solutions State why parents find it so hard to keep kids away from video games, especially mobile video games, and offer concrete solutions to set better boundaries with kids for video game usage (250 words) Conclusion Offer a strong conclusion that brings all of the essay together in a summary (250 words)

Note that I’ve planned to write a few hundred more words than the prescribed word limit, so I have scope to edit and tighten later on. 

3. Expand your text with intros and conclusions

I use this method all the time to get unstuck and write longer articles without worrying about word counts.

Let's say you finish expanding your outline, and the article is still short a few hundred words.

Two places you should consider expanding are the introduction and conclusion.

How does this work?

• In the introduction and conclusion, you can add free-flowing stories, ideas and paragraphs, without having to validate each sentence with technical reference, sources and quotes.
• You can use anecdotes, personal experiences, news articles, and research findings to introduce your topic, or to close it.
• You can also go into detail about why you were motivated to explore the topic in more depth and why it has helped you to develop your argument. We wrote about essay hooks in more detail here, so be sure to check it out.
• Remind readers why this entire argument matters at the human level in the conclusion. This is done by repeating the topic, the core of your argument, and why you have justified your thesis. 

Add these elements to your introduction and conclusion, and you will quickly reach your essay quota.

Here's an example from the Wordtune blog of an anecdote placed as part of the intro:

4. Use examples to illustrate your point

It is always helpful to provide examples to illustrate complex academic or technical points. As well as adding color and descriptiveness to your own words, examples help your arguments come to life in a way that academic writing cannot. Having read several essays about the same topic, your evaluator will probably find it enjoyable to read something more creative and genuine. 

Examples also help readers visualize your narrative. The situations can be real or imagined, but they must be authentic, relatable, and most importantly, relevant to your topic. Providing examples from your real-life experience will demonstrate to the teacher that you understand your topic.

I started this article by describing my experience as a freshman. The challenges I faced as a student are similar to those you are currently facing, so sharing my journey will help you learn from my mistakes.

5. Invest in serious research 

Research is the most effective way to increase a paper's word count. 

The more research you conduct, the more ideas, perspectives, and information you have to base your arguments on. 

Research takes time and effort, which you may or may not have. 

Here's where my smart tools come into play.

No matter how long a paper is, Wordtune Read will give you all the key highlights.

The following is a composite screenshot of how Wordtune Read summarized the effects of video games on children from a long and complex article. The key highlights on the right help you distill the core messages of the research in minutes, condensing hours of reading into minutes.

In just a few steps, you can add at least two supporting arguments or stats for each point you have in your outline. And just like that, you have several hundred very relevant words, added almost effortlessly to your essay.

6. Ask 'Why' questions

At this stage, the research has already provided you with some solid perspectives, but there's nothing like adding some original perspectives to the existing body of research. Asking ‘why’ questions is an effective way to do this. In addition to strengthening your arguments, it will also enhance your essay with relevant and original content.

Think back to the example of the negative effects of video games on children. Let's say one of the arguments you have is "phone games cause emotional issues". Use a series of 'why' questions to dig deeper into the text. 

Ask questions like: "why is that true?", "Why is it important?", etc. For each answer, ask another why question and develop some original angles based on the insights that may emerge. 

While it beats manual paraphrasing in terms of speed, I felt it also improved the overall quality of the writing.

7. Address the counter view

It's a foolproof way to score brownie points with tutors and also add some value - and word count - to your essay. 

Counter views or counterpoints are positions diametrically opposed to your own.

I argue, for example, that video games negatively affect children in the essay about video games. There is always some literature available (and there is always some literature available) on the counter-side of why and under what circumstances video games can actually have a positive impact on children. I am able to write a pretty solid section on that topic. 

By balancing the pros and cons of both arguments, I will also be able to bridge the two points of view.

Just like that, you've added about 200 words to your essay!

8. Use quotes and references

While the bibliography section doesn’t usually count towards the overall essay word count, there are some easy tricks you can use to maximize the references. Once you are done with the essay, run through your list of citations and find interesting quotes that you may have missed, which you can now incorporate.

9. Get feedback from a friend

If you're like me, working on the same essay for a long time with complete immersion means you develop blind spots to obvious misses and flaws in your text. This could be especially problematic for non-native English speakers .

Ask a trusted friend or peer to look over your essay again. Share your essay on Gdoc with your friends and find out if they spot something that seems missing, out of place, or that stands out like a sore thumb.

Also, ask them to question your assumptions in the essay - this may give you new angles and perspectives to explore, thus expanding the word count even further.

Your friends will help you find the problematic paragraphs in your writing and make them more concise and effective .

10. Add text while editing

Once you have finished writing your essay, you can use the review stage to edit and add text to your essay.

This is another great opportunity to use your AI writing tool, and get suggestions for ways to make your sentences more fluent . You can also replace superfluous words with stronger vocabulary, and pick alternative ways to word sentences that contain repetitive words.

Try and spot long, convoluted sentences and break them up to smaller sentences.

Keep it long and interesting

Essays that meet the prescribed criteria, including word count, indicate to your teachers that you not only possess subject matter knowledge, but also writing, grammar, logic, research, and communication skills.

You can find interesting angles even in the most mundane sounding topics if you challenge yourself to do the work and not worry too much about the word count. With the 11 smart hacks - including use of the smart writing tools - essay writing and meeting the specified word count becomes much easier! 

Learning how to expand a text in an interesting way - and not just by adding fluff - makes you a better writer regardless of the format - essays, reports, statements of purpose - even books! 

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3 Easy-to-Use Tools to Count Your Words

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So you need to get a word count for the latest chapter of your novel or an essay assignment for school ? Don't worry, here are three easy-to-use tools to count your words.

Need to get a word count on your latest writing project? Here are three tools that can help.

Why Count Words?

If you're an experienced writer, this might already be obvious to you. However, if you're new to writing, you need to know that keeping track of your word count is a central habit of a writer.

You count words for two main reasons.

1. Because Publishers Count Words

In school, writing assignments are usually measured by page length (e.g. please turn in a three-page essay on Jane Austen's use of satire in Emma by Friday ).

However, measuring by page-length is inaccurate and, in many cases, unhelpful. Font, spacing, and formatting changes can alter the number of pages, and if you're writing a newspaper, magazine, or book, the pages will be in a variety of different sizes anyway. Measuring by word count, on the other hand, is consistent.

Furthermore, publishers often pay on a per-word basis, and so it makes sense for professional writers to keep track of how many words they write.

But what if you're not a professional writer? Why should you count words then?

2. Counting Words Can Motivate You

Many famous writers have kept daily word count goals. Ernest Hemingway is reported to have written 500 words per day. Stephen King writes 2,000 words per day, even on holidays. Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope wrote 3,000 words per day.

Setting a daily word count goal can inspire you.

One of the best known word count goals is  NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month). Every November, thousands of writers challenge themselves to write 50,000 words in a month (that's 1,667 words per day, by the way).

Another resource for writers is my friend Jeff Goins' 500 Words a Day Challenge , which is a 31-day writing challenge that over a thousand writers have participated in.

3 Tools to Count Words

How do you keep an accurate word count?

1. Count Words With Microsoft Word

The most-widely used word processor makes it easy to count your words.

On Windows , there are two ways to see the word count. On the Review tab, just next to Spelling and Grammar Check, and on the home ribbon beside the page number.

On Mac , you can find the word count under Tools -> Word Count.

2. Take Word Counts to the Next Level With Scrivener

While Microsoft Word is a decent word processor for writing essays and articles, if you're writing a novel or book, you need a more powerful tool.

Scrivener  is a perfect tool for finding your word count because it not only keeps your word count visible, it allows you to track your daily word count and the word count for your entire project. You can learn more about Scrivener on our review here .

In Scrivener, you can set the project targets to your daily word count and track your progress. Also, notice the word count visible at the bottom of the application.

3. A Fast, Online Word Counter

If you don't have access to either of these tools, you can find, free online word counters. One of the best, in my opinion, is  WordCounter.net .

Word Counter is a free, online word count tool.

Challenge Yourself to Write 1,000 Words Today

These tools can change your life.

How would your life be different if you challenged yourself to write 1,000 words a day? ( Share that challenge on Twitter )

Even if you took the weekends off, in just a month, you would have 22,000 words. In six months, you would have written 132,000 words, easily enough for a long novel. After the first year, you could have written  two  books.

It starts by taking just a few seconds to track your words.

Do you have a daily word count goal? What is it?

Write 1,000 words today. Keep track using one of the tools above.

When you're finished, share your best 250 words in the comments section below . And if you share, please be sure to give feedback on a few practices by other writers.

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

38 Comments

I participated In NaNoWriMo myself. My novel concluded before I reached the word count but it was still a great experience. I’ll have to post my practice later when I have time. (WOOT FIRST COMMENT)

Nice, Miriam. That’s a huge accomplishment. Also, way to get in first! 🙂

The following is EXACTLY 250 words:

I never lied before I worked here. It started with little comments, like telling a caller the boss, Robert, wasn’t in, when he was on a personal call. Next I found myself assuring a caller that our Director of Marketing had sent out the requested materials the previous Friday, when in fact Hannah had returned from lunch drunk, passed out in the lobby, and we called her husband and told him to take her home.

People tell you, “The watched pot never boils”, meaning some things happen so imperceptibly, that if you dedicate yourself to watching for the smallest advance, you’ll never see it. The lesson, I suppose, is that it won’t do any good to watch a process too closely, as there is nothing to see.

I wonder if maybe people are getting this lesson backwards. If something can happen slowly and nearly undetectably to the naked eye, then shouldn’t we watch it very, very vigilantly, to catch it before it boils over? That’s how the lying exploded. Over time Robert and Hannah escalated their expectations of us, that we say any damn thing they wanted us to say, to get them out of their chronic bungling.

That is how, today, I found myself insisting to that nice man, Tom Contreras, that Robert could not meet with him. I gave him my best “trust me, would I lie to you” smile, and convinced him he had made a grievous error, and his appointment had been for the prior day.

This is so true. After a while and after being asked to do it over and over, we are able to block even the slightest twinge of guilt. I like your line: …trust me, would I lie to you. Nice piece.

Thank you 😉

Wow this is so good, Avril. I loved the way you combine story with psychological observation so deftly. And I really like the way you bring us into the lives of these characters so completely in just a few paragraphs. Great job!

Thank you for the compliment and encouragement Joe.

Wow this is really good Avril. I love the way it sounds when I read it. Great job!

Thank you Miriam. The feedback from you and Joe today is especially helpful as I hone in on my “voice.”

It is only 811 words. Hope that’s enough. Thanks for yet another great prompt.

2012 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, California, is a tri-era promenade: pre-earthquake, early post-quake, and now. Something to note as you look up and down the stretches of the Pacific Garden Mall. Parts of each era remain and shoulder up, intermingled and interwoven, in a strange dichotomy of style and sensibilities, palpable to six senses – senses that must include “feel.” Before the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, old family businesses struggled against a fluctuating economy and decay – Leask’s, Ford’s, the stately Cooper House, the Hihn Building – only to disappear into quake rubble and oblivion. From the earthquake ruins, the silent overgrown lots have slowly and painfully risen, Phoenix-like, to house modern replicas and buildings, saved from demolition, clothed in new paint, giving concrete testament to the power of Mother Nature’s onslaught.

It looks somewhat new, somewhat tidy, with new business owners, full of dreams, bringing new energy, unaware of the strange angles. It’s all here, the very Gen X storefronts of The Gap, Border’s, Starbuck’s, Cinema 9 and the upper-storied upper-classed condos to old fringe establishments – Logo’s, The Avenue Bar, Book Shop Santa Cruz – and the eminent Santa Cruz elder statesmen – Del Williams, The Del Mar Theater, The Palomar Hotel, Annieglass. The sun has slipped below the rooflines of the Cooper House across the street, giving the street a bluish cast, and the wind swirls, scuttling the dry leaves of late summer and wafting in the briny smell of the sea.

From my vantage perched high on a coffee shop stool, I pull on my sweater and watch and reflect. While much has changed in the last twenty-four years, much remains the same in this funny, strangely odd little place on Planet Earth. The city fathers have looked to upscale the look of this funky street, yet the fringe folks looking for attention or a handout – homeless street people, mentally ill who have slipped through the cracks, angry young people, savvy panhandlers – remain entrenched, some living in alleyways, doorways, and the lush underbrush of this tourist mecca by night and by day claiming a butt-sized patch of sidewalk. With hats and instrument cases open wide, ragged street musicians, some phenomenally talented troupes of drummers from some other cultures and guitar players belting protest songs, stake out street corners and make this city inhale and exhale. I remember the tiny ancient fiddler who played off-key, who died last year, and I wonder about the strange man in the pink tutu and tights, with matching umbrella, who, in scuffed ballet shoes, shuffled up and down the sidewalk in slow motion, his gaze unwavering, daring you to look away first.

Fast forward to today. September 2014. Border’s is no longer. Forever 21, in eight-foot letters, is now emblazoned on the storefront. Del Williams Jewelry is but a memory. They were always able to locate the elusive replacement for broken treasures. Other business, too, are no longer a presence on the Garden Mall promenade. The economy has taken its toll here and everywhere. Starbuck’s and Peet’s, along with some local coffee beaneries, have customers bulging from their sticky doors, while the protesters of conditions and wages sport signs outside. The pan-handlers still hassle the diners who shovel in ethnic foods served in sidewalk cafes. The street musicians remain, despite the white-washed façade put on the buildings rimming the street, and they produce some of the best music you’ll hear. Life vibrates through the tree-named streets that surround the Garden Mall – Cedar, Walnut, Laurel – despite the few empty lots of weeds as tall as a man dotted here and there. Life vibrates and hums. The young people gather and spill into surf shops that tout the best wetsuits, the most chic attire. Cinema 9 has eleven screens, and on opening nights lines run around the corner and past the ATM machines for Bay Federal Credit Union. Yes, life’s heart still beats here.

A few feet from my perch sits a young woman, maybe 19 or so, a street person, asking passersby for spare change. Her voice is harsh, and she barks a “fuck you” to a man who spat some words at her. Hunched against the late afternoon chill and the taunt tossed from his retreating lips, she leans against the building and sucks in a sigh, herself complicit in his response. She knows it.

When she arrived here, she was undoubtedly full of dreams, as all those absent business owners must have been, too. Once optimism must have burned in her eager heart, as she made plans for a future here. Perhaps it still does, but it has burrowed itself deep inside, for time on the streets changes people, even the young ones. She’s alone, and, as night begins to fall in a strange town, I wonder if she feels the bony edges of fear.

I stuff my notebook in my bag, curl my hands around the steaming paper, and wander into the crowd.

Gosh Diane, this piece so effectively evokes that funky seaside town (I know, I’ve been there). This is nicely nuanced, you’ve drawn the personality of the neighborhood, how it looks and how it feels at street level. I’m familiar with the denizens already. I mean this ad a compliment, that it reminds me of one of my faves, Cannery Row by Steinbeck. Oh and the guy in the tutu, he’s from Fairfax.

Thank you, Avril, for reading my too many words and your kind words. Sorry. I didn’t read the instructions thoroughly. I am so happy that you know this little burg and recognize some of the landmarks. Fairfax? Really? We would always look for him when we fofund ourselves at the Garden Mall. Too funny. Again, thank you for reading.

Thank you, Avril, for taking the time to read my way-too-many-word piece and for your kind words. Next time I will read the instructions more carefully. I’m happy you recognized some of the landmarks of this little burg. It’s an interesting place, a place that engages all the senses. Fairfax? Really? My husband and I used to look for him every time we found ourselves on the Garden Mall. Again, thank you.

This place is not so much about the rules Diane, but about the encouragement to write. Writing more is always a good thing if you are on a roll! We’re glad you shared.

Very well done! Your description of the town, the people, the changes, everything create a living, moving video in my mind. I feel as if i’ve just been there myself. Adelaide

Thank you, Adelaide. I’m happy you were able to visit here for a little while. It’s a special place.

You’re a very good writer, Diane. The description here is perfect. I bet you had a lot of fun writing this!

I did have fun writing it, Joe, but it brought back a lot of unfun memories. Thank you for your encouraging words and for this wonderful site.

Wow amazing Diane. I could feel and see everything you described. Based off of this I feel that you’re going to be a great writer. Keep up the great work!

Thank you so much for your kind words, Miriam, and for taking the time to read the piece.

You made me feel as if I’d like to go there and experience it for myself. Vivid descriptions and emotions draw you in.

PI glazed my fingers over the peeling yellow with time flower wallpaper. My footsteps echoed though the enpty halls as the dust lifted from the ground. Silence filled the air one I would find at an funeral,quiet from neglect as if it was hiding a burning hatred for what I had did.

Rain slid down the clouded window pane and the pit pat in the roof sent a eiree chill down your spine. Memories followed my though the house as I breathed in the rich earthy smell of mothballs. Those memories wandered next to me hoping for me to look at them just to catch a fleeting look, toopen up the vault which I had buried them in.

This once was my childhood home where I spent long days and cold nights curled up asleep on my bed with dreams leading me into a false sense of security.

I took one last look around and shut the chipping word door. I sprinkled the last of the gasonle and struck a match, soon the house set fire, the flames licking the night sky as the stars twinkled in the inky blackness as the fire crackled from the heat.

I sat back a blank expression on my face.

“That’s finally done.” I said. I started walking with the embers glowing brightly behind me casting shadows.

Now I know that is part of a good story. Nice twist to start off visiting the childhood home, then burn it down.

This needs some cleaning up for spelling and grammar (for a practice this is fine though), but I loved the way you evoked sensual details as the character paces through the house. There’s a lot going on here, and like Avril said, this seems like a small piece of a promising story. Well done!

Nice job Chloee. I’m intrigued as to where this will go next. Keep up the good work!

It holds my interest as to why she sets fire to her childhood home? What bad memories are hidden there? Like Joe pointed out. it needs careful editing for mistakes. Adelaide

Alright. So a few practices ago I posted about Angela.(the post “You Need to Ask this Question Every Time You Sit Down To Write” specifically) This is a continuation of that post. Here is my 250 words.

Groggy, disoriented, confused, I slowly awoke to my surroundings. The first thing that I became aware of was the pounding pain pushing through my skull. Questions like: Where am I? What happened? Why can’t I move? Rose in my mind.

I opened my eyes to closer examine my surroundings. The ceiling was bare cement and seemed to animate cold to the very marrow of my bones. I tried to move my head to look at the walls but found it fixed in place. Panic slowly began to rise within me like a poison. Slowly I began to remember what happened until it came back in a rush. My apartment, escape, Andrew, the emerald. Where is the emerald! Came my panicked thought.

Frantically I looked around the room with my eyes but came upon nothing. Calm down Angela think this through. No need to lose control. I thought about that night. Where had the emerald been then? In my desk… until I put it on. My eyes drifted to my chest in hopes of seeing it there. It was gone.

My alarm began to rise again as did my scolding thoughts. Angela you idiot! You should’ve left the emerald in its holding spot but no you had to be noble and put it on. Just then the door opened.

“Ah you’re awake.” Came Andrew’s voice. He walked to a chair somewhere behind me and, by the sound of it, took out a pen and paper. “Now to business. Where is the emerald?”

I didn’t know what I was going to write about when I began, but I was in our local diner so I began about a waitress. I don’t know if I did a 1,000 words because I write on a yellow pad and haven’t transcribed it all yet. This is as much as I’ve typed so far, about 350 words.

Edna knew her customers. She had been waitressing at the Loganville diner for 20 years, and she had served many of the customers for the same 20 years. They had grown old together. Some had died during those years; some had been born.

When Bob died Edna had taken stock of her situation: two children married, one grandchild and another expected, living miles away, an old house paid for, a small pension from Bob’s union, a moderate savings account, the interest of which she and Bob never touched.

“Let it grow,” Bob had said. When I’m gone you will need the interest to supplement my pension.”

Edna could have used the interest now, but Bob’s voice came back to her in those few weeks right after he died. “Let it grow.” So, she did and got a job at the diner.

“I never waitressed before,” she had told Fonda, the owner, “but I’m strong and a hard worker.

“Well…”

Edna almost heard the wheels spinning in his head as Fonda Metatakis thought it over. “Can you operate a cash register? They’re all computerized now.”

“I can use a computer, and I’m a quick learner.”

“Well… O.K. Part time to start, one to five in the afternoons at first, then maybe later full time.”

Edna suspected he gave her the job because Bob had died. Everyone in town knew it. Bob was always talking to people whether he knew them or not. and, if he didn’t, he soon did. Fonda probably thought she needed the money. She did, but it wasn’t until after she had asked for the job did she really know why. She would use this money for living expenses, as little as possible, and add the rest to her savings as a legacy for her grandchildren.

It was something she used to fantasize about when she was a child–a legacy left by some unknown relative or stranger because she had done a good deed. For a time she had gone out of her way to help strangers even if they really didn’t need it.

“Thank you Dear, but I can carry this package. It was kind of you to offer.”

It hadn’t been easy, but now and then her help had been accepted. she made sure to tell them her name and to get theirs. For years she had checked the obituaries regularly. Adelaide

I’m starting to think of all the other little stories she has been a part of over the years and what happens next. I enjoyed reading it Adelaide

Thank you, Ann. Adelaide

I like Edna. I wish I knew what was going to happen with her legacy she’d built up. A very interesting teaser, Adelaide.

As I read this I could picture the diner the regulars went to in my home town… Everyone knew everyone and came to tell stories and have coffee and breakfast. It would be interesting to see what some of the stories Edna had heard over the many years she had worked there.

When I get in the zone, I write 1,000 words in two hours. Most of the time, i’m procrastinating, so it’s usually 250 a day.

I use the tool http://wordcounttools.com and it works like a charm. Would you please help readers to revise the article and put it in?

If somebody is looking for reliable and new service for counting, I would suggest countwordsfree.com as the one to be look at. Stop words exclusion and original text pre-processing as well as possibility to load and save the text from/into file makes this portal universal and quite useful for writers and seo specialists.

image finding Pasteur here, away from my wall…………………………………

Pills and pigs – here’s my excerpt. 27 minutes to free-write 1067 words.

“Okay, there is this new pill out,” he said, “barely fresh from clinical trials. It’s a calming pick-me-upper. It works I’m told very well for people like you, although I don’t know anyone personally yet. You will be the first. And there are a few side effects. Want to be a guinea pig?

Well, sure, why not. What did I have to lose for a month’s free supply? The possibility of becoming an actual pig? Yep, that’s what the bottle says. But, hey, who are they fooling, how does a human become an animal? Besides, the results, they were glowing to say the least.

One day later. So I took the first pill – pink and round – upon rising as prescribed. By noon I seemed to have more energy than usual. I took a 3 mile walk on my lunch break. Feeling good! I had a bit more of an appetite that night, but I figured I must have walked off a gazillion calories at noon, so I could afford an extra serving of buttered cornbread with my five-meat chili.

One week later. Wow, I’m cruising in high gear There’s no end to my energy. I rise, take a pink pill – have a little burp. Did I tell you they make me burp? They do, but no problem, I cover my mouth. Today however, the burp tasted good. Like the fried chicken I had last night. I tried to burp again, but couldn’t. But I definitely had fried chicken on my mind when I went to work.

I’m ready. Let’s do this!!!

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How Many Words In An Essay? [A Word Count Guide]

/ By Alan Reiner

/ September 21, 2022

Whether you are writing an essay for school or for a course, you may wonder how many words you can include in your written essay.

Generally, the exact word count in an essay depends on the subject, the course and the essay requirements.

In this article, we take a closer look at the word count for different types of essays, and how you can avoid exceeding the word limit.

How Many Words Should An Essay Have?

Different types of essays have different word limits. Generally, essays can vary from a few hundred words to 6,000 words.

An essay is typically defined as a short piece of writing with a certain structure. An essay should present an idea as concise as possible, and it shouldn’t be too lengthy.

Essays aren’t as comprehensive as research papers or a thesis. They should be much shorter.

Typically, essays are assignments given to students in higher education. They come with guidelines on how many words and pages are expected to be written.

Many standard essays range from 2,500 to 4,000 words, although this can vary depending on the course and assignment restrictions.

High school essays are usually a little shorter and they tend to be 300 to 1,000 words. These are often simple 5-pagragraph essays that include an introduction, a few paragraphs and a conclusion.

Undergraduate college essays are a little more extensive and they range from 1,500 to 5,000 words. 

The exact length of undergraduate essays depends on the department, syllabus, course level and the institution.

Other graduate essays, including postgraduate essays, tend to be much longer with 2,500 to 6,000 words.

They also vary depending on the course level and department but they are typically the beginning of a research paper.

There are also a number of different admissions essays, such as undergraduate school admission essays, that you may need to write to be admitted to a college or university.

These can range from anywhere between 200 and 1,000 words.

Whatever essay you are tasked with to write, it’s essential that you check the guidelines on word count and the expected pages.

Often these guidelines also advise the style of writing as well as the font and font size. All this can make a difference to the length of your essay.

How Long Is Each Part Of An Essay?

All pieces of writing are typically split into introduction, main body and conclusion. This also applies to academic writing and essays.

The main body of the text should take up the most space of your essay. This is where you present all your arguments, develop your ideas around the topic and provide evidence.

An introduction is usually just a couple of paragraphs to introduce the topic. It should be proportional to the overall length of your essay.

The longer your essay, the longer your introduction needs to be. After all, you will need to put down some background information and introduce your argument.

An essay conclusion should be kept brief and concise. The conclusion is usually just a single paragraph, although this can also vary depending on the overall essay length.

As a rule of thumb, many basic academic papers are five-paragraph essays. This means that there is one paragraph for the introduction, three paragraphs for the main body and one paragraph for the conclusion.

When you are writing your body text, then each body paragraph should cover a central argument and idea.

How Long Should A Paragraph Be In An Essay?

The length of a paragraph in your essay will vary depending on the overall word count of your essay and the arguments that you present in your written work.

Essays are typically divided into five paragraphs, although this depends on the essay guidelines.

In academic essays, the majority of space is taken up by the main body text which is typically three paragraphs long.

The main body text allows you to present your main arguments, ideas and offer evidence for your thoughts.

It’s important to structure your essay in the right way. While there’s no exact paragraph length or paragraph word limit, you need to make sure that your presented arguments are clear and concise.

Can You Go Under The Suggested Essay Word Count?

Yes, you can also write fewer words for your essay as long you fulfilled the assignment requirements and you have structured your work well.

However, bear in mind that you should not sacrifice any good arguments just to stay under the word limit.

If you are struggling to get even close to the word count, then there are quite a few things you can do.

It’s a good idea to add as many examples and evidence pieces to your paragraph as you can. This will support your arguments.

Also make sure that you fully analyze and explain each example in detail to fully develop your point.

Each paragraph in the main body text of the essay should pick up a new argument and aspect of the topic.

It’s essential that you do not use any filler words or text that doesn’t add to the meaning of your essay. 

Artificially bumping up the word count with complicated sentences or unnecessary words will just weaken your arguments in your paper.

Lastly, don’t overfixate on your word count . While word limits are set to guide you, many markers do not always worry too much about 100 words over.

The important thing is that you bring your argument across and that you have a good essay structure.

Can You Go Over The Suggested Essay Length?

Sometimes you are allowed to go over the suggested word limit by roughly 10%. However, how strict the word count is handled depends on your institution and the course.

That’s why it’s important that you check with your course instructor.

As a rule of thumb, it’s only a good idea to exceed the word limit when it supports your argument.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep the number of words in your essay as low as possible.

It’s important that each paragraph is clearly structured to support your argument and idea. You should deviate from the main point and don’t include any irrelevant information.

Check the words that you use and remove any filler words that don’t add to the clarity of your sentences.

When you remove a paragraph or sentence, then you need to make sure that you revise any links or transitions from your previous paragraph.

As the introduction and conclusion are both relatively short anyway, there is usually not much space to cut out words.

No matter how many words you need to cut, your essay should be on topic and packed with powerful arguments.

Final Thoughts

The length and word count of an academic essay can vary, from a few hundred words up to 6,000 words.

Whether you are writing an essay for an academic assignment or college admission, make sure that you read the instructions and guidelines carefully.

They will give you an idea of what to write about and how many pages as well as words you should write.

Alan Reiner

Hi, my name is Alan Reiner and I have been in the writing industry for almost seven years. I write articles that can span from 200 words all the way to 20,000 words every single day. How do I do it? With a lot of determination. All my way through school and college, I hated long-form assignments. I could never get into the groove of working on one piece for an extended period of time. My pieces were always late because I didn’t have the motivation to type them, let alone edit them.

How Long Does It Take To Write A Letter Of Recommendation?

How many characters in a linkedin post [a character count guide], how to end an email: 9 top sign-offs and mistakes to avoid, how to write a novel, first, second, and third person in writing: mastering perspectives, how long is 2000 words, how many pages is 600 words, how do you spell the color gray.

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Essay Tips: Word Count Advice

3-minute read

• 10th October 2017

Most students have experienced a few sleepless nights worrying about the word count of an essay . After all, you don’t want to write too little. And writing too much is almost as bad! However, if this sounds like a familiar problem, you might find these tips helpful.

Why Is the Word Count Important?

The word limit for an essay reflects how much you’re expected to write. Most universities allow around 10% leeway either side of the suggested figure. If you’re not sure what the rules are about this at your university, check your style guide or ask a supervisor .

The word count matters for two reasons:

• Writing too little suggests that you may have underestimated how complicated a problem is or not done enough research.
• Writing too much may mean that you’re not expressing yourself clearly, or that you need to focus on a specific issue.

In either case, your marker may have a lot of work to get through, so they will appreciate concise writing ! But how can you make sure you get the word count right in a document? The keys lie in planning and editing.

Planning Ahead

How do you ensure your work is the right length? The first step is to plan before your start writing. To do this effectively, you’ll need to:

• Work out the structure of your essay, breaking it down into sections.
• Check the word limit and assign a certain number of words to each point you need to make, plus the introduction and conclusion.

You can then see how much space you have to make your argument. And if you find that you don’t have enough words available per section, you can revise your essay plan to focus on the most important points.

Reducing the Word Count

Say your plan doesn’t quite work out, though. What then? Well, if you’ve written too much, there are a few things you can do. These include:

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• Looking for and cutting any repetition in your work
• Cutting unnecessary words or phrases (particularly redundancies )
• Using the active voice instead of the passive voice

Having your work proofread can help with these issues. However, if you need to reduce the word count in your work by a large amount, you may need to make bigger cuts.

This will mean looking for arguments or examples in your work that aren’t essential to your point. In a longer thesis or dissertation, you may also be able to move some information to the appendices.

Increasing the Word Count?

There’s no trick to boosting the word count in an essay. But there are things you shouldn’t do! For example, you shouldn’t add extra words unless they offer something useful. Unnecessary waffle will make your work hard to read, and your marker will spot it quickly.

Instead, reread your essay and look for things to expand on, such as:

• Adding another example
• Explaining an argument in more depth
• Comparing different points of view
• Using short quotes to support your points

If you find it difficult to know what to write, a little extra research should help. The key is that anything you add should contribute to your work as well as your word count! And if you need any help proofreading your essay , our academic writing experts are available 24/7.

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IELTS Tips: How words are counted

Learn how your words are counted in IELTS. This page explains about counting words, numbers and symbols. You need to know how words are counted for IELTS listening, reading and writing. If you make mistakes with the number of words, you can lose points which can affect your band score.

How words are counted in IELTS

1. Numbers, dates and time are counted as words in writing. For example 30,000 = one word  /  55  = one word  /   9.30am = one word / 12.06.2016 = one word. “Six million” is counted as two words in IELTS writing. In listening, 30,000 is counted as one number and 9.30AM is also counted as one number.

2. Dates written as both words and numbers are counted in this way: 12th July = one number and one word in IELTS listening and as two words in IELTS writing.

3. Symbols with numbers are not counted. For example, 55% = one number (the symbol “%” is not counted as a word). However, if you write “55 percent” it is counted as one word and one number.

4. Small words such as “a” or “an” are counted. All prepositions, such as “in” or “at” are also counted. All words are counted.

5. Hyphenated words like “up-to-date” are counted as one word .

6. Compound nouns which are written as one word are also counted as one word. For example, blackboard = one word.

7. Compound nouns which are written as two separate words, are counted as two words. For example, university bookshop = two words .

8. All words are counted, including words in brackets . For example in IELTS writing, “The majority of energy was generated by electricity (55%).”. This sentence is counted as 9 words. The number in brackets is counted. Brackets can be used in IELTS Writing Task 1, but not in IELTS Listening or IELTS Reading.

9. Some people have asked me if words such as “the” are counted only once regardless of how many times they are used. It is best to illustrate: “The man walked into the shop for the newspaper” = 9 words .

10. Contractions are counted as: it’s = one word / it is = two words.

• Get useful tips and advice about the word count for IELTS writing .
• Start learning how to write compound nouns correctly. Some are one word and some are written as two words. If you make a mistake, it can affect your band score. Here’s a link to tips about compound nouns .
• Learn more about the meaning of ” no more than one word and/or a number” in listening and reading, by watching the video on the main IELTS Listening Page .

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In the Mindset for IELTS book 1 (p.56), it says that “nineteenth of” is okay for an answer that requires “No more than one word and/or a number”.

why is this okay under the criteria? or is this inaccurate?

thank you for your help!

I’m presuming that you are asking about the listening test as those instructions generally apply to listening. Numbers can be written as word or a number as long as the instructions allow so many words or numbers. However, if you write “nineteenth” instead of “19th”, the only issue will be spelling. The number “19th” will always be correct, but if you make a spelling mistake with “nineteenth”, you will lose that point. So, for numbers, it is always safest to write them as digits. But this isn’t a rule, it’s advice.

if its NO MORE THAN 3 WORDS and answer key has just one word answer and if I write 2 words, will it be wrong or half wrong, will I get any score for it?

example :- answer key :- Plants my answer :- certain plants

If the answer requires a noun, it is not usual to add adjectives or other unnecessary words to the noun, unless the adjective forms part of a compound noun.

Your tips are quite helpful and simple to understand,i appreciate your kind gesture towards ensuring that prospective ielts students pass their exams.

My question is this how do you count your number of words while writing.

Count the average number of words on one line and multiply it by the number of lines. Or download the writing answer sheet and practice writing on it to judge the word count. This is not necessary for the computer test because the word count is shown on the screen.

Hi Liz, In reading, is a book title counted as one word ? For example, for Information Transfer with no more than three words, is ‘James and the Giant Peach’ considered a word or five? To the best of my knowledge, it is counted individually but the in-book answer has provided the title itself as the answer. Kindly please clarify my doubts. Thanks in advance for your time.

It is 5 words. It sounds like you are not using authentic IELTS materials published by IELTS either in their test books or on their website. Be careful who you learn from.

Does ‘1 hour’ count for one word or two?

In the listening test, it is one number and one word.

Hi Liz, could you please clarify the below queries? Eagerly awaiting your response. Thanks!

I was practising through the official IELTS practice Listening test part 1 of section 1  Q. Earlier bus leaves at (5) ____ My Ans. 8.55  BC answer was 8.55 (am) The speaker said – the 8.55 is probably safer than the 9.05 Is my answer correct?

Listening test part 2 of section 2 – no more than two words Q. (15) ………………… students My Ans. first year BC answer was first/1st year Is my answer correct? Q. use time effectively, find (16) ………………… My Ans. balance BC answer was (right) balance The speaker said – discover the right balance  Is my answer correct? Q. all students, especially (17) ………………… My Ans. international  BC answer was international/foreign (students) The speaker said – many foreign students …. international students tend to  Is my answer correct? Q. (20) ………………… students only My Ans. research BC answer was research/advanced  The speaker said – this project is strictly for research students as less advanced students already have  Is my answer correct?

Listening test part 3 of section 3 no more than three words Q. Early in (22) ………………… My Ans. the 20th century  BC answer was (the) 20th/twentieth century  Is my answer correct? Q. narrator knows all about characters’ feelings, opinions and (24) ………………… My Ans. motivations  BC answer was motivations/motivation  The speaker said – what their motivations are   Is my answer correct? Q. literal transition from 27 ………………… My Ans. darkness to lightness  BC answer was dark (ness) to light (ness)  Is my answer correct?

The word in brackets is an optional extra word that you can use but you don’t have to use. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening-using-brackets-for-answers/

Hello, I have slight confusion with CBT. Is the spacing is counted as well in the word count?

The computer based test and the paper based test are the same test with the same rules and same marking criteria. The only difference is that you put your words on paper or on a screen (and with the CBT the transfer time for answers is different). So, the answer to your question is NO. Spaces are not counted – words and numbers are counted. The page above explained this to you – please read it again to feel more relaxed.

Hello Liz, Thank you for the great work you’re doing. I had a few confusions regarding computer-based IELTS test for writing. – Do we have to count the words or we can see the word count on the screen? – Does the system stop accepting characters once the word limit is up? If so, at what word count does it stop accepting characters, both for task 1 and task 2? Thanks in advance.

The computer test shows the words on screen. For the paper test, you can estimate the word count for your own use. You do not need to state the number of words on your paper. There is no upper limit of words and you can write as many as you want. However, more is not always better. Go for quality not quantity.

dear liz When writing a letter, do they count dots”.” And comers “,”?

There is a word count. There is no punctuation count.

shall we use personal pronouns in writing tasks?

Yes, you will use them. You use “I, my” for expressing your personal opinion. You will use “it” to refer to something”. you might use “they, them” to talk about people in general. You can use any personal pronoun that is suitable for your essay content, but those are the main ones. See my model essays and all my tips on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

i was very upset about my IELTS test, but you made it easy. i know you have a big heart therefore, you are sharing knowledge without any cost.

I’m glad my lessons are useful 🙂

They really are ,simple easy to learn and to the mark .

Glad they are useful 🙂

Do the proper nouns are counted or Not?

All words are counted – all of them.

Thank you so much for all the valuable content you have here on your website and your YouTube channel. They have helped me immensely to prepare for my IELTS exam which is in two months from now.

However, I have a question for you with regard to the number of words in a sentence. Do we count a currency symbol as a separate word from that of the number or do we count the symbol and the number as one word? For example, if it is $450,000 is it counted as one word or two words?

Much thanks in advance for your help! Sandy

“$450,000” is a number. In the listening test, this counts as a number. In the writing test, it counts as a word.

Hi Liz – thanks for the content – really appreciate it.

What about abbreviations such as “cm” and “m” etc. are they also counted as words or would they be classified as symbols(e.g. % and £)?

Thanks and kind regards,

They are not counted as a word.

Your teaching method is as beautiful you are.

Lovely comment 🙂

Hi dear Liz How are phrasal verbs counted? Are they counted as one word or two? Many thanks

When a phrasal verb contains two words, it will be counted as two words. When it contains three words, it is counted as three words. The count is the same as the word count function on a Word doc.

Dear Liz, As you have illustrated under your heading of how words are counted e.g 9:30 am as a one word . But I was practicing listening it was mention that not more than two words or a number . My correct answer was 58hrs but it was marked as wrong correct answer was 58 only doesn’t 58hrs counted as a one word .

The letters “hrs” is not a standard way to write the word “hour”. It is not the same as km which stands for kilometres. You should not use it in your test. You should also make sure you are using authentic IELTS tests published by IELTS. Not tests you find online. You can find a free test on the BC or IDP website.

Hi Liz, Hope you are doing good!

I am practising for my IELTS General Training and I find your content very useful. In the reading test, I recently came across a blank-filling question type, which confused me. I have a doubt, whether the answer should be written in numbers or words? Can you please advise, it would be much helpful.

(Source: Book: Cambridge IELTS 9, General Training Reading Test B, Section-1 Train Travel Information, Question 8 (page no.121)). Question 8: An elderly person who is also studying full-time receives a concession of ______. Exact original text: Ticket type senior citizens, discount 25%.

The blank-filling is required to answer with “NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS”. I wrote the answer as TWENTY FIVE PERCENT. However, the in-book answer to this is 25 PERCENT/%.

In my understanding of rules for reading, 25% is considered as a number. Hence, in order to comply with the question prompt, I changed the number to words and written my answer accordingly as mentioned in the above paragraph. Since, I’m preferring to take an online test, for various reasons, will the computer system evaluating my answers understand these nuances? Will my answer in words considered as correct or not. What should I do, Your advice would be much appreciated. Yours faithfully, Nigin Prajith Ramdass.

Don’t worry about “numbers” or “words” in the instructions for reading. This is more important for listening. In the reading test, the answers are all taken from the passage. This means you copy the words (or numbers) exactly as they are in the passage. In this particular passage, the numbers were all given in digits and not words – so do the same.

majeer.com is consider as one word or three words ?

As it is all connected up, it is considered one word.

Liz, is “twenty percent” one word ?? I was doing a listening task in which the instruction reads ‘ ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER’. The answer key says 20/ twenty percent. I don’t understand how twenty percent would be one word !! Please explain

20% = one number

Thanks Liz, your articles have been very helpful. I hope to ace my test this weekend.

If one wrong spelling is repeated so many time then I will get below 6 band score? I have written curruption instead of corruption 5 times maybe.

Then that is one mistake, not 5 mistakes. Your score is not decided based on a fixed number of errors. The vocab score is based on density of spelling and vocab choice mistakes as well as range. Good luck with your results!

Hi Liz, Can we use ‘&’ istead of ‘and’ ? Is it formal ?

No, you must write the word. That symbol is not used in formal writing or even informal letters.

This is very helpful. Thank you!

Please, Can The Greetings In A Letter Be Counted?

All words you write on the answer sheet lines are counted.

In ielts writing exam do articles (a, an, the) count as 1 word or do they usually get ignored

All words count. Big and small.

Hey! Thanks for such a great article. I want to know what does “One word AND/OR A NUMBER”. In order to answer one of such questions, I wrote just “sides”. However, answer “4/four sides”. The questions is from IELTS book 10 test one reading passage one.

One word or a number One word and a number Go to this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening/ and watch the video.

Thank you for your amazing tips. I wanted to ask if it says in instructions Not more than three words and the question is How did the students do their practical lessons? And i wrote ‘in small groups’ (As the tape says) and the answer on the answer sheet is ‘groups’ will my answer be correct?…..As in i wrote three words exactly from the tape but the answer given was in one word

The answer would normally be either “small groups” or “groups”. You do not need to use prepositions or articles for short answer questions.

Hi Liz, hope you’re doing well and staying safe. My question is , how many words are there in the time ’12 o’ clock ?

You would always write “12” instead in IELTS Listening. The word “o’clock” is not needed for an IELTS Listening answer.

55% counted in listening as one number. In writing??? Counted as one word or one number?????

IELTS listening instructions are all about numbers and words. Obviously 55% is a number. In IELTS Writing the examiner counts each item of language as a word – you should write over 150 words in task 1 (for example). This means there is a word count in IELTS Writing. Obviously this is one unit of language = one word. It is very straight forward. This isn’t a trick or complicated. Just look at the instructions for listening and look at the instructions for writing.

Thank you Liz for proferring Tom tips… In the case of 55%…Could we write it as 55 Percent or fifty five percent to increase word count?

It is not normal to do that in IELTS writing. It is normal to write digits. This is also the case in IELTS listening and reading. Furthermore, you are marked on spelling so if you accidentally make a spelling mistake with the number or unit type, you will lose the mark or it will count as a vocabulary error in the writing test.

Hi, Liz, I am an IELTS trainer and a long time follower of yours, I recently came across a blank-filling which confused me. It might have to do with word counting rules, or not. Could you help me with it? (Source: Reading passage 1, test 1,Cambridge IELTS 14, academic) Question 2: Board games involve ___ and turn-taking. Exact original text: Later on, when they tire of this and settle down with a board game, she’s learning about the need to follow rules and take turns with a partner. The blank-filling is required to answer with ONE-WORD-ONLY response, then I wrote ” rule-following”. However, the in-book answer key to this is “rules” ONLY! In my opinion, “rule-following” is semantically more accurate than “rules” as it’s already an original mentioning and a parallel to turn-taking. Just cannot persuade myself out of my attempt, not to mention how I should explain it to my students. By far the most reasonable explanation (for me) would be that my try should be regarded two words. Otherwise, I must have missed something else, could you shed some light on this? I’d be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Kun

I see where you are confused. The question has paraphrased the words “take turns” from the passage into “turn-taking” in the question statement. As we know, it is normal for IELTS to paraphrase the statements from information given in the passage. However, we can’t paraphrase the words from the passage as an answer. We must take one word or words from the passage as they are written. The sentence “Board games involve rules and turn-taking” is actually grammatically correct in English. Certainly if we write “Board games involve rule-following and turn-taking” it might seem a better sentence and in fact so is the sentence “Board games involve following rules and turn-taking”. But this is not about preferences. It is about IELTS rules. I think sometimes you need to just go with basic logic – a) we can’t paraphrase our answers, the words must be written as they are stated in the passage. b) the sentence “Board games involve rules and turn-taking” is actually grammatically correct. Given those two points, you need to come to the conclusion that while you prefer a different grammatical structure, the answer using only the word “rules” fulfils both criteria for answers in IELTS sentence completion. I hope my answer sheds some light on the way IELTS thinks. There have been a number of times that if I was writing a test, I won’t choose such a question. But this is IELTS. Their test on the whole is pretty good. Just look out for those questions that niggle at you and go with applying basic principles for correct answers.

Many thanks, Liz. You’ve been really helpful.

Hello Lizzy, if you are requested to write two words and/or a number and i write ten thousand dollars how many words will this amount to and will it be correct. Also if i write it as 10 thousand dollars will it be counted as been correct. Thanks Chinedu

As you get marked down for wrong spelling, don’t spell out numbers. Just write: $10,000 – much easier and safer.

Hi Liz, Thank you very much for all these knowledge you sharing with us……….God bless you real good.

Hello, may I ask you, I just tried one listening test on the internet and there was question when doest the event start (maximum one word and/or number) and they said just 2.45 , but I wrote 2.45PM to my answer sheet and when I saw correct answer there was just 2.45. Would it be considered as a mistake? Should I write AM PM only when they say it ?

Thank you so much for your help 🙂

Did you use an official IELTS website for this test? Or was it just an online ielts test from a website that isn’t official? Do not use online sources unless you know the teacher’s qualifications or unless it is an official IELTS website.

Recently in a listening practice test the audio was as follows: “The next tour is on April 18th”. I had written the answer as 18th April, but the answer key marked me down and displayed the answer – April 18th or April the 18th. Also in another instance, for answers not more than 2 words/ number; the audio stated “The course will be for 3 weeks”. I had written the answer for the fill in the blanks as : 3 weeks. I was marked wrong as the answer key was “three weeks”.

Even though the answers were fundamentally correct and I was within the word limit, I was marked down. I am intending to take the computerized IELTS test, will the instances be counted as mistakes, thus affecting my band score?

Thank you so much, Jeena

It sounds to me like you are not using authentic tests written and published by IELTS. Are you using an Official IELTS website for these practice tests? If not, don’t use them. Use only official sources for full tests. For practice lessons, only use lessons published and written by teachers who you are familiar with – who publish their qualification and experience. Use the internet wisely.

Please reply to the answers that she raised..as I am facing the same issue.

IT means the answers might have been marked wrong because the test wasn’t officially from IELTS. It means it was not an authentic test with authentic results. If you don’t use authentic test materials from the actual IELTS website, you will find such problems with your answers. The answer “3 weeks” and “three weeks” is 100% the same, but it was marked wrong because it was probably done on a website that was not an Official IELTS Website. Do not use online sources except from teachers whose credentials and face you know (ie they are will to stand by their word) or directly from Official Sources: IELTS, BC, Cambridge, IDP.

Hi Liz, Do they also count Greetings and Sign-off?

All words written on the page are counted.

Can we use contractions in writing? My teacher told me not to write ? Please make me clear?

Contractions are informal and can’t be used in formal writing for IELTS. This means writing task 2 and academic writing task 1.

Please answer.

Everyone is telling IELTS is not possible with coaching classes. I want to prepare for myself by following your tips. Can I achieve a good score?

You will achieve a high score if your level of English is strong enough and if you have fully prepared by understanding the IELTS test – questions topics, strategies, marking criteria, band score requirements etc.

Hi Liz , thanks for your useful website , I have one question , does the examiner account ( pronouns, a, an, is , are , it etc. ) as normal word ? thanks

Of course. They are normal words.

Hello liz. If there’s no more than one word question and in that if we write an apple as an answer instead of just apple then would it be considered as incorrect?

IT would be marked as incorrect. You must always follow instructions. Also, not all question types require the use of articles (a/the).

How are the words counted in the IELTS online as well as offline test? Is the count tally for word check manual/guesstimate or automated?

The word count is automatic on the computer based test – you can see the word count as you type.

Hi Liz. Can we use special characters in IELTS Wrting tasks (both 1 & 2). My question is not about word counting, I intend to ask whether using such characters will result in negative marking or disturb the flow of writing. For example- using ” / ” for giving options.

Sorry, I don’t understand your question. Which characters do you mean? Why would you use “/”? You are being marked on your use of English language – are you planning to use “/” instead of the word “or”? You’ll have to explain more clearly for me to help you.

Thank you for your prompt reply Liz. Sorry that you did not understand the question properly, but fortunately I got your point and explanation. Why would I use special characters when examiners are testing me based on the English language used. Makes total sense. Thanks again!!!

Glad I accidentally answered your question 🙂

If the question has command “no more than 3 words” and if we have to write an email address “[email protected]” what do we write??

IELTS never has an answer that is outside the word limit. Always remember that this test isn’t a trick – it is straight forward and logical. Obviously, that email address would be within the word limit.

Hello Liz, Thanks a lot for the information. I recently attended IELTS classes where the teacher mentioned that the writing task 1 shall be divided in 5 paragraphs. the first para shall be where you shall paraphrase the situation given in the task and express your emotions. for word count purpose this para shall not be included. the next paras shall be to address the 3 bullet points mentioned in the task. Kindly let me know if it is correct

Every word you write is counted. There are no words on your answer sheet that are not counted. ALL WORDS ARE COUNTED. Writing task 1 academic paper should never – never – contain emotion. It is a factual report based on what you see. For the GT letter, it would depend on the style and aims of the letter. A formal letter would not be emotional. Make sure your teacher completed the IELTS examiner training.

Thanks a lot.. this page has solved all my small doubts

Thank you for your immense hard work 😊

Are punctuation mark consider as one word in “Writing” of IELTS ?

No. Commas and full stops are not words.

In some passages (listening/reading) where the instructions clearly state “NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS”, there are answers which demand you to write numbers. For eg. 25%. However, since there is no allowance of a number in this case, i think we should write the answer as twenty-five percent. This would count as 2 words if i am not wrong. But, to my surprise, the answer as per the cambridge book is 25% itself.

Please help. Thanks much.

Regards, Viddhi

If the answer is a number, the instructions will allow for that. IELTS do not write faulty instructions.

Hello Liz. Thanks for all your help. I was going to ask the exact question until I saw your reply but it’s still not clear and the same issue has come up in several practise tests taken. Where the instruction is given that ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS’, and the answer requires a number, say a date e.g 15th of May. Since there was no allowance for numbers, I spelled out the date as Fifteenth of May and was marked wrong. The answer was stated as 15th May. Are numbers marked as words in the listening test (where the answer gave no instruction for use of numbers)?Took test from ieltsonlinetests

IELTS NEVER gives instructions that do not fit the answers. NEVER. The reason you are struggling is because you are not using official tests. Stop using such websites and only use tests that you get from official sources – from IELTS. You can purchase the IELTS Cambridge test books and use the test directly from the books. It is important that you use the internet carefully when you prepare for IELTS or you will get confused.

Hii mam, how many linkers are use in each passage please reply mam.

The examiner does not count the number used and there is no set number to use. The number is flexible. you are being tested on linking ideas correctly and use of linking words – not how many you use.

In writing task 2, Can I use any sentence related to me as well as any examples?

It is a formal essay about the world in general – keep your examples less personal if possible. Your experience of the world is not limited only to your own personal life – it is about the world as a whole. This is not a rule of IELTS, it is advice to help you boost your score.

Mam do they count repetitive words like “the,is..” once or as much we use they count all of them.

I’ve just added more to the list on the page above. Take a look and find your answer.

Would it help to score high if essay starts with a quote?

In an English language test, you are required to use your own English – not someone else’s.

Thank you immensely

Linking words such as In additon,For example,In conclusion are counted ?

ALL words are counted – all of them.

Hello Liz, is it okay to use forward slash in IELTS WRITING ACADEMIC? I mean the table in task 1 has categories with slash. For example Food/Drinks/Tobacco, Clothing/Footwear and Leisure/Education, can I rewrite it in my essay?

No. You must write the headings so that they are grammatically correct – using capital letters, commas and linking words appropriately.

“200 millimetres ” is counted as one or two word? in the reading : the place gets drop of 200 millimetres of percipitation Question It gets only….of rainfall.What is the answers?

totally,we can write uppercase letters in listening ?

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/

Mam… Is “three thousand” two words (or) one word. …………………………………………..

Hello, Liz My name is Nadia. I gave my LRW Test in academic module on yesterday evening in Pakistan. I have a question that in writing module (task 2), what is the method to count the half written lines.

Hi dear Liz, I’m writing to ask you one question as to Listening module.If we write market instead of a market.Will we lose the score?

Some types of questions require an article and some do not. It depends if the question types requires you to complete a sentence – in that case the sentence must be grammatically correct when completed which includes the use of articles.

Hello mam ! I gave my exam and i got 6.5 in writing. though i used to get 7.5 in my ielts institute;and now i am planning to give it again.i am watching all the videos given by ielts experts online. And i figured out that..i should use : – range of complex structures with accuracy.. Range of vocabulary.. Cohesive devices within the sentences 1 main idea in 1 paragraph which is extended,supported and clearly developed. Modal verbs Collocations Synonyms Pronouns Some less common words accurately I also saw the public version of marking criteria given by ielts Is there anything i am missing and which can hold me back to get 7 bands in writing ..please let me know.

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-band-scores-5-to-8/ . Also review all lessons on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . If you need more lessons after that, I also offer paid Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

hi Liz ı have a question 🙂 in my real listening exam there was a question like; “between……….and…………..” and we need to write “no more than two words and/or number” for each which one is correct -2 am- 10 pm or 2-10

You only need to write two times – you don’t need to put anything in the gap. Your answer would be “2am 10pm” or “2 10” depending on what is said in the recording.

Hi liz I was wondering if you can make a video about how to do a plan for my writing task 2 ? I already saw the video you have on youtube about to plan an introduction , and it was very helpful

I will put it on my list. However, I have written a page about planning your essay. See this page for all tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

for Writing task 1+2 = 60min. If I spend and finish task 1 in 15min, can I use remaining 45min for task 2?.

Thanks, Srikanth

The time is yours to manage as you wish in the reading and writing test. You have one hour for reading – use the time as you want. You have one hour for writing – use the time as you want.

(on the one hand) is considered as how many words

Hi, How about apostrophe s (‘s)? Does it count as a word? If so, then how about an s-less apostrophe, as in “Birds’ photos”?

If it is attached to another word, it doesn’t count as a word on its own.

Hello Liz. I have a doubt regarding my listening ,I always put “S” in words as for example checklist(s), review(s),end of term(s).. It will cut my mark or not. How can I improve regarding this “S” word. I have exam on 17 Nov. Feeling stress.

You can’t use brackets for your answers in the listening test. You need to choose one only – plural or singular. Just practise.

Hi Liz, In writing Task 1, at least 150 words are allowed. if we exceed the limit of words. For instance, I write 160 words??

There is no upper limit. Your task is to write OVER 150 words. Read all links, tips, lessons and information on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

From what I’ve read you shouldn’t exceed it too much. E.g. to write many pages when it should only be a short letter. Liz’s model answers will give you a good idea of what is required.

Good day) I hope you will get better soon) I wanted to ask about the % sign. During the listening practice tests I wrote 40% in my answer sheet, but in the answers there was only ”40 percent” given, with no other variations. Does this mean that my answer was wrong?

It’s fine to write that.

Is there any change in listening band score in general training

There is only one listening test for all IELTS candidates. There is no special listening test for GT. All tests for listening are the same and all marking is the same.

Hi Liz. Could you clear one confusion that I have regarding one particular answer? The script says, ” Ceramics were first discovered 29000 Years ago.” But the question states “Ceramics date back approximately _____________” It requires no more than 2 words and/or number.

I wrote “29000 Years ago”. The key says “29000 Years”

Is my answer correct or not?

It is wrong. This is due to grammar. The sentence you must complete is “Ceramics date back approximately _____________” – the answer does not require the word “ago”. Always check the grammar requirements of the sentence you are completing.

You don’t require ago because it’s already given in the question as “dates back”

Hi Liz, I’m planning on taking IELTS general training model, as well as I’m practicing currently. I noticed that I can understand the listening recording fully, however, I am an extreme slow reader, I could only obtain band 6 in reading as for June last year. As it came to my attention, I must read, listen and write in listening sections, mainly, 3 & 4, which I find even more difficult since they involve speed reading.

Any advice dear Liz? should practice more and more reading helps?

I’m looking forward to reading your answer soonest.

Thank you, Ethar

You should be reading the questions before the audio starts. You need to practice this skill. It is not a skill that will come without practice. You must develop your ability to a) skim read b) spot and underline key words in the questions. In listening, all questions come in order which is helpful. The test is also designed that key words in the questions either appear or are paraphrased in the recording – so you know, 100%, that the particular word or similar word will definitely appear. But again, I stress clearly, you need to practice and develop this skill. One way is to review all (and I mean ALL) tests that you do at home. You need to make a list of paraphrases used in each answer and a list of key words used. As your awareness grows, your ability to post this during the recording will also grow.

Hi Liz , Must I start the Intro using this way: Paraphrasing – Thesis – Outline ???

https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-how-to-write-an-introduction/

Can I please send you here an essay to correct it for me ? Please.

Sorry I don’t offer that service.

Hello Liz, When writing answers for listening/reading, are the symbols counted? For instance, if the answer is 25%, what would be the correct answer if word limit is no more than three words: 1) 25% 2) 25 percent 3) 25 per cent Thanks in advance!

Hi, I started writing from the back side of answer sheet and ended it on the front side, in writing task 1. will the examiner consider it or its totally unacceptable ?

As long as you correctly label the answer sheets and put a notice at the top of your paper for the examiner, it’ll be fine. If you have made it clear so that the examiner can understand – it’s all fine.

Thank you Liz, invigilator had asked me to write “turn over” in empty space of front page, I hope it will work.

Sounds fine 🙂

Madam, If instructions is to write one word one, but according to grammar the sentence is unable to complete the meaning. So we uses an article or preposition in a braket before writing that one word e.g. : party- as per instructions of questions ( the) party- it’s grammar demand Which one is correct

IELTS tests and instructions are perfect. If the answer is one word only, then it is one word and never two. IELTS do not make mistakes with grammar.

Hi, While reading your reply above, I became curious about what exactly “IELTS” is referring to in the last sentence. Since you wrote, “IELTS do not…”, I am guessing it is referring to “People at IELTS”, as “do” is used for plural subject, right?

IELTS is a company.

Thanks for worderfull things you are doing for all of us.

My question is related to listening, I will explain you with example Like Ticket Office is an answer and I write ticket office or Ticket office And if answer is cottages and I write Cottages will it make difference.

Hope you got my point , only difference is using upper and lower case

I am very much confusing in that part

It is best to write ALL ANSWERS USING CAPITAL LETTERS.

Hi Liz. I m a bit confused about using , in thousand numbers. We are using . For thousands instead of , and I sometimes have mistake about it. Is 5000 (without using ,) acceptable in Ielts (in listening, reading and writting skills)? Thanks a lot.

It is best to use the comma because it is easier for the reader.

I want know details for letter writing all word are counted from starting (I. e address, date, subject, sautation, content) or only” body content”

There is no need for an address or date in IELTS writing. You should begin your letter with “Dear _____”.

in listening can we use articles in tables,forms, or not necessary

Most tables and forms do not use articles. Usually some answers have already been given in the form or table – take a look at how they are written.

in listening section , if any answer is : asia and africa. will this be counted as 3 word . can i write the answer asia, africa instead of putting “and” if the word limot is two words

As you can see, it is three words. All answers depend in the type of question asked.

Hi Liz, in general writing task 1, [Dear sir, . . . Yours faithfully, Arpit] Will these four words be counted?

All words are counted.

Thank you liz for fast reply. Someone told me that dear sir and last name not counted so i was worried. My exam is on the day after tomorrow 6th jan. And i write between 150 to 160 words in letter and 250 to 260 in essay. I count all words at last. Thanks

You should NOT count all words. You don’t have time. To extend your writing, you should aim for 260 – 280 words in task 2 and 160 – 180 in task 1. See all tips on this page for writing task 2: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Thank you so much for tips Liz. Your response is so fast

Hi liz , i need help regarding my listening test on 6 jan.

No more than 2 words and or one number .

He said my birthday date is : 22 7 1989 , and i wrote 22 july , i wrote this because they clearly said no more than 2 words and or one number . So that was one word and one number .

Is it correct ?

22.7.1989 is one number. They are joined to make one number.

a,an,the are they count as a word???

Dear Liz, In the British council ielts book , in the practice test 4,under listening section 3 question number 22-the answer is given as chain of commands. But in the audio i didn’t hear such words. Also in section 4 ,question number 34- pest resistance , in the audio they say that the pests develop immunity to pesticides. The word that i heard are not directly given as answers. Can i modify the words to fit in the word count such that the meaning is not changed ? Please do help me out. I am completely relying on your videos and tips for my ielts preparation. The are very helpful. Thank you so much.

You will need to check the transcript. All listening tests that you do for practice should come with a transcript so you can check your mistakes and develop.

I just want to say thank you for all of your videos and lessons before I ask my question.

I have been doing lots of listening tests on the official Cambridge practice tests and random Youtube videos.

I have noticed that the difficulty of the Cambridge tests are relatively easier and often ask for one or two words for the fill in the blank questions. But the Youtube ones tend to ask questions with 3 words maximum. Is the difficulty of real tests roughly same Cambridge practice tests?

Also, some questions include articles in the question, and in this case, I do not have to struggle with figuring out grammatically correct articles, but some of them don’t. Generally speaking, do I have to write articles if it’s not given to the question? (if the answer is not one word)

You should always practice and judge your understanding from the IELTS Cambridge books published by IELTS (IELTS needs to be the publisher). You should not use other sources to judge your score – only for extra practice. Articles are used for sentence completion questions to result in a grammatically correct sentence but not in note completion.

Thank you for your prompt answer, Liz. It’s very weird to hear directly from you after watching all of your videos online! It’s like talking to a celebrity 🙂

Very funny 🙂 You made me laugh out loud 🙂

i didn’t understand above comment by you. so, no need of using articles in normal questions??-only in text competion

Sentence completion is not text completion.Sentence completions include summaries and sentence completions. For note completions, articles are usually not needed. IELTS usually give examples of answers in note completion and diagram completion etc.

I have a query on the word count in reading section. It’s a summary completion question from Cambridge IELTS 9 (answer should be NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS).

Q – If travellers cancel their trip, they will usually receive back the ticket price less………of the original value. Text says, ‘Tickets may be refunded not later than 5 minutes before the departure of the train for a charge of 15% of the ticket price’.

Should the answer be ‘fifteen percent’ or ‘15%’ or ’15 per cent’? The answer key in the book says, ’15 per cent/%’. However, I understand that it should be ‘fifteen percent’ as per word count in the instruction. Kindly clarify.

Thank you! Kiruthiga.

Any option is fine as long as it is within the word count. However, it is usually written as 15% in the English language.

Dear Liz, I was practicing cambridge 6 test 3. And in the listening section they said ” one word and/or a number” The note completion was about date of birth. In the listening record they say (27.1.1973)

Is this a one number or should I write only (1973) ?

I don’t have the original answer key as my version of the e book includes only student’s answer.

Thanks a lot …

27.1.1973 is one number.

Thank you for your efforts to make IELTS preparation easier for us! I have a question that I would like to ask you: Cambridge IELTS 9, Test 1, Listening section 1, the task is note completion, and we have to write no more than 3 words and/or a number. 1)Nearest bus stop: next to ______ I wrote ˝the library˝, because that’s what the lady on the recording said. But, when I checked the answers, they only wrote ˝library˝. I am unsure if my answer is correct or not. I am aware that this is a note completion, and that we don’t always need the articles, but in the example of this test they actually used one: Work at: a restaurant.

2) My second question would be about dates. Is it wrong to write 22nd October? Because in the answer key they only wrote 22 October

Thank you in advance!!

You need to pay attention to whether you are asked to complete sentences or notes – notes don’t use articles but sentences do. Both options for dates are fine.

Thank you for all you do on this site Liz. I have a question about Writing Task 1 please.

Is a letter to your direct supervisor at work requesting for a transfer to another department a formal letter? This is your manager that you know and who knows you well.

And how do you end the letter? Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?

Kindly help to clarify.

Are you sure your manager knows you well? Your manager knows you on personal level? Your manager visits your home, chats with your family, will go on holiday with you? Are you sure this is a personal friend? Think more deeply about the difference between a friend who knows you and a manager who knows you.

Dear Liz, I have a couple of questions regarding answers of Cambridge 9, listening test 2. Section 1 is a filling up a form task. Q3: Course of study: ……………. The answer provided is nursing but i wrote Nursing. Is capitalizing course name wrong? Again, in section 3, for Q30 which is a sentence completion task, i put the answer as e-mail, but the answer says email. Will i lose marks for hyphenating?

It is best to write all your answers using CAPITAL LETTERS.

Thanks a lot Liz for your prompt reply. Please suggest me for the promlem of ’email vs e-mail’

Usually hyphens are important to use correctly. In this case, both options are fine but most people do write “email”.

While practicing Cambridge IELTS book no. 6-Test 4-listening section, the speaker says ‘a 10 minute’ walk, but in the answer pages back in the book, it is ’10 minute’. The question is: Approximately ………walk from conference center. Please clarify me whether the ‘a 10 minute’ is correct or just the ’10 minute’ is correct? Notably, no more than 2 words and/or a number is allowed.

That is correct. There is a different between a full sentence and notes. In the answer, you don’t need the article “a”. Most people think that listening is only testing your vocabulary and listening, but it also tests your understanding of grammar.

Do we need to write total number words After writing the Essays.

No. The examiner will count them anyway.

Hi Liz, I gave my IELTS Academic today. In listening, two sections are given to be answered with “three or less than three words/number”. In that, three questions were like this: 1) speaker suggest to use ___________ to search for a job (answer I written was THE INTERNET) 2) should analyze ___________ from the laboratory (answer I written was THE SAMPLES) 3) collect _____________ from the professor(answer I written was THE PHOTOGRAPHS) My doubt is whether the answers could be true or not when ARTICLES in front of the answers were used??? Please help me out. Thanking you in advance. And your blog is really helpful.

I can’t comment without seeing the real questions and head the recording. The way you have written it, shows that these are note completion questions. You have not stated this. On the question paper, it always says “sentence completion” or “note completion”. Notes do not require articles always, but sentences do. So, you have’t actually provided the full questions with instructions etc.

I think its note completion. So would that be wrong as I included articles for every answer? Thank you

For note completion, there are not always articles. It depends on the notes. Often, some of the notes have been completed for you so that you see examples and then you fill in the missing ones.

Hello Liz, Listening test instruction: write one word and/or number Answer : 5 to 12 How they counted ths as one word and number ????

That is one word and two numbers.

Hello mam, thank you for the help you are providing. I would like to know, Do I have to write the first letter of the word in Capital letter or standard will be just fine.

Suppose I have to write a time period. Shall I write in number e.g. 3 hours or I should write like “three hours”

Same goes for money?quantity.. Please help Thank you.

I recommend all students write their listening and reading answers in capital letters.

I also have same question in my mind. Then I will start writing all my answers in CAPITAL LETTERS

is it correct that total number are words , in ielts writing task, are counted using a formula i.e ( number of words in first line x total number of lines ) = number of words in your essay ? For example if first line of the essay has 5 words and there are 30 lines written then the total number of words in our essay would be 150 ? Is this information correct ?

You use that technique to count your own words – it is speedy and gives you a good estimate. But the examiner will count each individual word.

Hi Miss, what is the format of writing people’s name in the listening test? Do we have to write the surname or family name first ?

You write down the name given. If it is a full name, you write that. If it is one name only, you write that. Always check the word count and always write what you hear. All names in Europe start with the first name and then the family name.

Can we write TRP, MNCs and GDP in writing task 2

Only if you have already introduced the meaning.

Thanks a lot for your tutorials. Please can you confirm if we can leave a space line while writing Task -1 and 2 , as my hand writing is big so want the examiner to understand :).

You leave a line empty between paragraphs – not between sentences.

Tomorrow is my paper.What should I do? Please help.

Review my last minute tips for each section of the test: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-exam-tips-on-the-day/

In listening if i misspell a proper noun, for example, a name of person or place, would it be considered right or wrong?

Incorrect spelling means the answer is wrong.

if I write the word like ” greenhouse” 3 or 4 time in a passage , as I don’t know any other word for it, how many times will it be counted?

Each word is counted – you use one word 4 times = 4 words.

would my score be lowered if i use the same word many times in my essay?

Your score will be lower if you try to paraphrase and make mistakes. It is better to repeat, than to make mistakes. Of course, if your English is strong enough, paraphrasing is great for boosting the score. But if your English is not so accurate, you will increase your number of errors and get a lower score. Know your limitations and make the right decisions for you.

How the name of places (like a cafe or restaurant) which is given in a chart will be counted (The Tea Room, Wi-fi Cafe) in IELTS Writng Task 1?

You can see that The Tea Room is three words and Wi-fi Cafe is two words. It is very simple and logical.

The issue is that we got an information that ..if you use any word stated in the question in yor essay ..it will not be counted …I am having tge same Question as him !!!??? If I have no choice other than using the word written in the question …will that word be counted or not!!???

That’s not true at all. Of course words in the question can be used.

Hi Liz, In Listening test: (write no more than three words)

Library hold most national papers, ____________, and magazines.

I remember writing in the answer sheet : Local papers Would I mark wrong on my answer for writing capital letter on the first letter of the word?

I would like to take another IELTS test. I would like to improve my score.

Many thanks !

My recommendation is to write using all capital letters for reading and listening to avoid any problems.

Thanks again Liz, I think i loss points for writing those kind of answers. More power to you…

Are contractions like “It’s” counted as one or two word in the Listening. And the same question for Scott’s in expressions like “Scot’s house”

Thank you for your help in advanced.

contractions are one word.

Hi Liz, Great blog! It’s really helping me a lot in my IELTS preparation. Just one question for word counting, instruction says “no more than two words” and the answer according to the passage is Sir Joseph Banks. Should I write Joseph Banks as the answer? Thank you so much!

The instructions will always match the answer in IELTS. Their tests are very carefully written and checked many times over. So, don’t worry about that – it won’t happen.

Hello Mam, Can i write Side heading such as Introduction, Overview, Body Paragraph-A, Body Paragraph-B. so that the examiner get’s clear idea?

Paragraphs do not have titles in IELT writing.

In my writing practices, I always use “I, he, she, they, his, her..” I know that we should write impersonal style but I can’t convert into the formal way. Could you please advise me?

You should be writing about people in general, not one person. We don’t write about “a doctor”, we write about “doctors”.

Hello Liz. I want to know about essays structures in writing part. Thank you

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

What is correct to write 9.30am 9:30am 9:30AM?

They are all correct and all accepted by IELTS.

how should we write dates if limitation is one word and a number ? would 25TH JULY be correct answer or 25 JULY?

Both are correct.

Hello Liz Do we need to write the number of words below the essay or just get a very close estimate of how many words I have written?

You do not need to write down the word count.

I have some questions on writing task 1

Which one is correct? ‘per cent’ or ‘percent’ Is it better to write ‘eleven per cent’ or ‘11%’ ?

Thank you very much

It’s best to write 11%.

The original content is,

It’s very important to remember your photo card because you won’t be able to get in without it.

The test is,

Members should always take their ( ) with them.

What is the answer should be written in ( ), photo card OR photo cards?

The instructions usually tell you to choose you answer from the passage. This means you don’t change the word. Make sure you read the instructions. IELTS try to make it as clear as possible so that you don’t get confused.

I am wondering if “25 percent” can be considered as a correct answer for a question in reading section noting that the written conditon was “Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the text for each answer”. Thanks for your help

I need to see the reading passage and question to comment on it.

Is it correct to write all answer in Upper case (capital letters)

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/capital-letters-in-ielts-will-it-affect-your-score/

i want to know that if i write ” do not ” or ” don’t ” so for these two how many word will count ?

You NEVER use contractions in writing unless you are writing an informal letter for GT writing task 1. The words “do not” are two words. If you write “didn’t” in listening, it is one word.

I think I read a cmt above of you that Contraction is one word (It’s = 2 words) Can you confirm this for me, please? Thank you.

Hi Liz, I get confused about “no more than two words or/and a number” question types. In the general reading test, the answer was a phone number which is “6546 6475” (There was a gap in the middle between 6546 6475) I wrote an answer “call 6546 6475” What do you think that did i fail that question or is that acceptable? Many thanks in advance. Greetings from Istanbul.

It is still one number. It is one phone number. Leaving a space is normal with long numbers.

This answers help me a lot also. same type of question is in my mind. Madam Liz, you are doing a very good deed by giving us these type of training free of cost. Thanks for guiding us. Your all tips and lessons help me a lot. Thanks a lot.

You’re very welcome 🙂 Thanks for your support 🙂

dear Liz , on reading section is it important to write answer with full words f/e T-true F-false

It is possible to write the answers using only letters. But make sure your letters are very clearly written.

Can I write more than 150 words in task 1 and how can they count it?

You MUST write over 150 words for writing task 1 and over 250 for writing task 2. Yes, the examiner will count your words. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/how-many-words-ielts-writing/

I’m taking the General IELTS. So, do they count the beginning of the letter that they give us in the question like Dear Sir/Madam?

ALL words are counted.

Yes i had the same problem.does it affect my score?

i have seen that somewhere written 2words / 1 number but in answer i saw that, 40 north avenue

That’s right. Two words and one number.

Hi Liz, In Writing task-1: are we suppose to write our name at the end? For Ex: Yours faithfully, Prasad

Yes. You either write your first name only for personal letters or your full name with a title for formal letters.

Thank You Liz

HI Liz, “5 working days” are 2 words or 3 words?

In listening, it is two words and one number. In writing, it is three words.

Hi liz , firstly, how about auxillary verbs “be, do, have, has, will ” like (I+am , It+is, He+is, I+will etc.) are they counted as one word? and second, auxillary verbs for compound tenses “I have eaten” or “”I will have eaten” are they counted singly as 3 or 4 words? Their future perfect (I+will+have+eaten or It+will+have+been+sold) and their progressive in passive ( It+will+have+been+being +selling) as 5 or 6 words?

All words are counted – big, small – everything.

In the listening the recording said “July the 30th” and that is what I wrote on the answer sheet but the word limit was one word and/or number. Will this be considered incorrect?

Yes, it would be wrong. All dates are always written July 30th – without the word “the”. Although the word “the” is spoken, it is never used in written dates. I know it can be confusing as you must write down what you hear, but you still need to follow English grammar rules.

Will 30th July be considered as wrong answer?

no, it is correct as I know

Hi Liz, Many thanks for your help in IELTS study, I think you are great. It would be great if you can send me the links of advanced writing vedios to me which i have purchased. Best Regards Mei

I think there has no another way,,,without thanking you mam,,, in a word this realistic topic,and helpful information,tips,advice will help me to get an outstandig bandscore……..

Thanks alot Liz for your useful blog. I found it quite helpful. It is the main source of the study guide used for my preparations and helped me a great deal to get the required band score. I am very grateful. God bless you Mam.

That’s good news 🙂

Hi Liz Could you show me the vocabulary that I have to know to write the writing task 1, pls? Thanks for your help a lots.

https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-liz-news/

Hi Liz, You are doing a great job. Your blog is of great help to the takers of ielts. Congrats and all the best!

Thanks liz Great trip for Ielts EXamination

Thanks for this teacher Liz!!

Hi Liz, how can i improve reading and speaking? i really hard i huge problem in that and i’m preparing for my ielts exam this coming week.

I have been following your blogs, for IELTS exam preparation, from quite some time now. Thanks for sharing the valuable suggestions online. Recently, I had appeared for IELTS exam and am unable to find the correct answer for below question (or similar scenarios): Instruction: Write no more than ONE word for the answer. I don’t remember the exact wordings of the question but it was something like…. Qsn: Its hard to attend the class because the number of ……………xxxx yyy zzzz. Audio script mentioned something like it is required to attend’5 lectures’ in a day…. Now the answer should be ‘5 lectures’ or only ‘lectures’ in this case ….I overheard someone after the exam who sounded very confident that it must be ‘5 lectures’, though I had only ‘lectures’ in the answer sheet?

Thanks in advance for your time and explanation.

Regards Devi

https://ieltsliz.com/liz-notice-2015-2016/

HI !.Liz mam…i’m from Srilanka….. Thank you so much….it’s very useful…..

thank you very much for this good information

I have been watching your ielts videos and following tips from it. There is a huge improvement noticed in me by following your videos. Thank you very much for your valuable tips.

Liz I’ve a question. In listening test some answers are in following format 1) (an) intermediate student 2) (a) person

So I would like to you (an) / (a) beside the words is it an optional or this is essential to link with a word. Please clarify my doubt.

Hi Liz, Is there any difference in exam between normal IELTS and IELTS UKVI? Please suggest some tips in IELTS UKVI.

Hi Liz. I have some friends who want to pass IELT next month. If you have free time, could you help me to check their writing reports and essays and evaluate them? I can send the essays to your e mail address if you want. It would be great if you can do it.

See this page for essay marking: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-essay-correction/

Hi Liz, Your site has given me a firm grip of what happens in IELTS. I am scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (20th & 21st Feb, 2016); LWR-20th, S-21st. any final tips for me?

Make sure you have practiced a full IELTS test under the time limits. Make a check list of things you want to remember during the test – for example, typical errors you make in writing, key linking words etc. Also review my on the day test tips: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-exam-tips-on-the-day/ . If you need advanced writing task 2, see my paid lessons: http://subscriptions.viddler.com/IELTSLizStore . Keep calm and keep focused. Good luck! Liz

Hi Liz, just stumbled on this site three days ago,I must say you are doing a good Job,God bless you.

I’m glad you found my site. I’m holiday until April but you’ll find plenty of help and tips on this blog. Good luck! Liz

Hi, I’m from Bangladesh. My exam date is 19 March 2016. Could you please add me any whatsapp group where i can get recent question answer? Thanks Mahfuza

I promised I would post my result: Listening 7.5, writing 7.0, speaking 7.5, reading 7.0. Your practice materials gave me the skills I needed to pass the IELTS that I wrote on the 9th of January 2016. I practiced for only about 3 weeks using only your site as I discovered it in December. I have recommended your site and do so anytime. Thanks.

That’s really good news!! Well done! 🙂 Liz

I am so glad to say that your videos about writing helped me to score 7.5 form 6.0. Thanks a lot. I wont forget you in my life.

It’s great to improve from band score 6 to band score 7.5 in writing. You should be proud of that score 🙂

Those videos are simply super…..

Hi dear liz Thank you,for giveing all the valuable information that really heplful to get good band in ielts exam.my requremet to get 7 each band to apply for pr.i am sure your hard work definatly help me. Thank you dear

thank you very much, Really useful information. Do you have any suggestion for listening. first R 7.5 W 7 L 5.5 S 7 ………………………….. second R 8 W 7 L 5.5 S 7

Start making a list of paraphrases that are used in all listening exercises that you do. Also make a list of common errors you make – word based, grammar based etc. Decide which types of questions are most difficult for you and work on them. Make note of key words for each answer so that you become more aware of these. Remember that to improve you need to have structured, focused practice and not just do practice tests. See my main listening page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-listening/ and also use IELTS Cambridge test books 1 to 10. All the best Liz

Thank you, it`s very useful)

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Count my words in my essay for me.

Before you submit your newly-written paper, we advise you to count the number of words in it! StudyCrumb’s online tool can help you keep track of the number of words in your paper. It will allow you to concentrate on important topics. Now you won’t need to give yourself a headache wondering “how to check word count?” Just use StudyCrumb’s profitable tool that is always useful to keep handy. After all, knowing your word count can help to improve your work.  Hot tip: A nice way to establish a good word count is by determining whether the headings should be counted. And when headings do not count, they can be included in words in direct quotes. The quality of any essay might suffer if it is too long. Instead, aim for brief and catchy headings. And let a tool do all the counting the words for you!

Online Words Counting Generator for Different Types of Writing

Access our tool if you need counting number of words that you've written. It encourages every student to follow their word limit! This can be important for public speaking or speech preparation. Every guru at our speech writing services suggest finding balance especially when it comes to oral presentation. It is helpful if writing for advertising and academic goals is a big deal. Our tool also determines the word count limit. It is useful for writing social media headlines and Google meta descriptions.  Looking at your presentation and think “how many words is this text?” Try to count them to assess the word density. For some papers, it's common to submit up to a thousand words. But many writers end up over the limit or falling short. Knowing that you’re using count words in text for free is a great way to avoid such problems. Any argumentative essay writer will appreciate such a tool. It can become an essential metric for content writers, whether they are college students or professional authors. Calculate word length in many different ways. But keep in mind — our tool will help you determine it best. It's easy to use. So, save your time and avoid any stress. You can reuse it at any time.

Count the Words in My Essays & Papers

When composing essays and other kinds of written work, your first concern can be “how many words are in this essay?” It is important that students meet all requirements. Consequently, they should know how to count essay words accurately. Word count dendends on the depth of your project. That is why you may need professional essay help .  The first thing you should do is check what the instructor has suggested as a word count. An essay might require fewer words depending on the subject. If it turned out shorter than the assigned word count, you may want to focus on providing a high-level overview of the topic, especially if you need to write my dissertation . Longer papers can delve into more details. However, in both cases, it is important to keep an outline to guide your writing process. Next, check how many words in essay you wrote line by line. StudyCrumb’s tool lets you count the words beneath charts, graphs, and photos. Now you can use it instead of thinking “how many words is my paper?”

Why Is It so Important to Count the Words in an Essay Correctly?

Why is it so important for you to “count how many words are in my essay”? Why do you browse different sites? Looking for one to “count my essay words”? There are few answers to these questions. A critical aspect of knowing essay word limit is how you use the words. The time your audience has to read through your essay is limited. Therefore, it's important to organize your thoughts in a clear and concise way. Make a list of the key points and then spend some time on the important topics. Don't forget that StudyCrumb is essentially an academic service where you can buy essay on any subject and have all requirements met. So, using an online tool when you must know how to count how many words in an essay when writing is simply necessary. And StudyCrumb is here to help you out in whatever way you need!

Paragraph Word Count by StudyCrumb's Free Online Words Counting Tool

StudyCrumb's online tool is perfect when you want to know how many words in this paragraph! You don’t have to do anything otherworldly to use the paragraph word counter. All one should do is follow a simple instruction. This word counting program works well for longer text categories such as articles and novels. It works by dividing a text into several parts. This way you won’t have to do this yourself and wonder how many words are here. You can check the length of your text by using an online helpful tool! You can immediately check your characters and page count, as well as run a spelling check or free grammar check . A paragraph or sentence can also be counted! Remember that one can enable or disable the feature of counting spaces. Punctuation marks will be counted automatically.

Counting Words in a Sentence

Have you ever wondered how many words are in this sentence that you just wrote? StudyCrumb’s tool aims to help you just with that. Students can easily check the quality of their writing and the number of words calculator whenever they need it. Our tool can be accessed from any device, such as a computer or smartphone. It can calculate number of words in your sentences and paragraphs. So don’t waste your time! Save this page as your device’s bookmarks and check your texts when your professors demand it! It won’t cost you anything. The text you wrote would look even more beautiful. Having a handy word count scanner is consistently another latest useful feature!

Important Features of Our Word Count Estimator: Find Word Count Easily!

Every calculator for words list has a bunch of quality features. And StudyCrumb’s is not different. How do you get word count of a document with its help? It's quite straightforward. Copy and paste the desired text into a box. That’s it, that’s the total guide. Use our number of words counter online for free to determine how many pages, paragraphs, and sentences you've written. Moreover, you’ll be able to see the approximate time it would take the audience to read your text. Our words counting software provides only accurate results that one can get online. Moreover, it is 100% free! You don’t have to set up a new account, register, or post any credit card number to use our tool. Just paste your text and check its length as many times as you need. If your academic work has space for improvement or it lacks some sections, contact our thesis writing service . 

Writing Word Count With Spaces

Do you need to set up the word counter including spaces? It is one of the features our online words calculator has. Their number will be shown under the status bar below the text you paste in a box. This is a useful feature when you don’t feel like writing more content and can pass the spaces as an additional number of characters. Our word count tool online for free breaks the number of words based on the number of spaces that were used. It adds that number to the overall quantity of words in your paper. Simple math!

Word Count Without Spaces

StudyCrumb’s word calculation without spaces feature is useful. Test it if you wish to calculate word count of a document without any extra spaces. Everything is displayed under your input text box in the result section. Why would one need to check a writing word count without spaces though? It can help determine whether you should add anything to the paper or delete any content from it. After all, in this case, you won’t be able to use the “space number” excuse to nope out of writing more parts of your essay!

The Most Famous Word Counting Machine of All Time

StudyCrumb offers you one of the best word count tools and words to pages converters that can greatly assist you in writing an essay. Our website that counts words can help you with even the toughest assignments. It ensures that your essay is the correct word count. Our website to count words for free will also be useful for anyone who works in writing, academic or otherwise. It could be used to create a wide range of writing projects including in-app messages, meta descriptions, targeted content marketing, and social media threads. If you’re writing your paper, it will remind you that every word serves a purpose. Each one is placed there for a reason. Moreover, it will show you how long it would take for your audience to read your paper. So get checking right now! Be sure to use our plagiarism detector before submitting your composition.

Benefit From Our Online Essay Word Counter

StudyCrumb’s word counter for essay offers a whole pool of benefits. As our document word counter is free, it’s not the only benefit you can appreciate:

• It’s free and extremely simple to use.
• Our word calculator processes a large amount of data in a very short time.
• The tool will save much of your precious time.
• You can alter your text right in our tool.

Needless to say, while writing in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Google Documents, you can easily see word and character count. But if you are dealing with a pdf file, you should put in some extra effort. Luckily, with our paper word counter, you can solve this issue effortlessly.

Get help from academic experts!

How our word count checker works.

Tick the box to proceed further – your text won’t be saved in our system.

Enter the text to check how many words or characters it contains.

Have word count calculated automatically and get your result instantly.

Features of Our Word Counter Tool

Our online word counter is an excellent option for everyone who doesn’t like distractions and extra manipulations. Just input your text and it will immediately calculate the words.

There is no need to pay – we offer a free word counter with unlimited checks. You can start using it without registration and run as many checks as required.

Our essay word counter shows the number of words, characters, and symbols without spaces. It’s a one-stop instrument if you need a detailed report.

FAQ About Essay Word Counter

1. do i need to register to use the word count checker.

No, StudyCrumb’s word count checker can be used without registration. We did our best to make the process as smooth as possible. You can check count values without creating an account.

2. Does your word counter check spelling?

Sure! Our instrument works like a spell checker and word count tool. This way, you can count symbols in your document and detect spelling errors, if there are any. Our tool will underline the areas that need extra attention.

3. Does this character counter include spaces or not?

Our character counter will show the count values both with and without spaces. Once you enter your text, you will get in-depth results where you will see characters including and excluding spaces.

4. Does your word counter tool save my text?

No, StudyCrumb’s word counter tool doesn’t save your text to the database. Your privacy is our top priority. We designed a tool that doesn’t store content you enter.

5. Do spaces count as words in an essay?

Yes, they do. Our word counter for free online will show you the number of words with or without spaces in a result section below the input box. These numbers will be vastly different. It only means that spaces count as words in an essay.

6. How do you find out how many words did I write?

Our tool is powered by an AI. So, it obviously knows how to count words. It divides the entire text by spaces and then counts the resulting pieces which are the words. Then it will show you the number of words it counted in a section below, as well as this number plus the number of spaces found in your text.

7. How do I check my word count on an essay quickly?

Just use our tool if you need to count the words in a document! It has a fast mode with an intuitive interface that delivers only accurate results. It is completely free, which means that you won’t have to suffer through a trial period or set up an account in order to use it.

8. Can you count the words in my document if it’s 50 pages?

When using a words count online, you should take into consideration your text’s font and formatting. For example, a page made of Times New Roman 14 is not the same as Arial 12. That said, our tool can handle a text of >100.000 characters and >15.000 words.

Other Tools You May Like

Use our word counter to check how many words are in an essay instantly.

StudyCrumb is a go-to platform helping students with academic writing. Entrust your paper to our professionals and they will take your writing to a totally new level!

Our tool goes beyond a simple text word counter. It works like a word character counter and offers multiple options. In case you have a special requirement from your professor, for example, a character limit, this tool will definitely come in handy. Likewise, you may need to find out the amount of characters without spaces. Our high-end instrument will be an all-inclusive solution. Just input the necessary part and calculate the number of symbols in your text.

We have developed this essay word counter to help students count the words and characters in their papers and academic texts. Are you writing an essay and want to make sure that your word count is precise? Or, maybe, you have a research paper or dissertation with a strict character limit requirement? Whatever your case is, our word count checker will be an irreplaceable instrument in your arsenal of writing tools. And the best part about this tool is its simplicity. Finding out how many words is this will no longer be a struggle. What’s more, you can make changes right in the editor field. You don’t have to switch between our tool and your document to meet the right limit. All results of word character count will be displayed instantly.

Whether you need to write a paper or have your essay edited, our experts will handle everything quickly and efficiently.

Count words or characters in your essay, paper, or any other academic text in a few clicks. Insert your text and enjoy accurate results – it’s as simple as that!

StudyCrumb’s word counter is loaded with features that you will undoubtedly find pleasant. With the benefits you get, it definitely wins over any word counter tool online.

Have any unanswered questions about our word frequency counter? Check out the answers below and find a flash answer.

StudyCrumb offers you more than just a word counter. We’ve designed a whole bundle of free writing tools that can improve your academic experience. Check them out below!

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COMMON QUESTIONS

How many pages is 500 words.

How many pages is 500 words? The answer is one page single spaced or two pages double spaced

How Many Pages is 6000 Words?

How many pages does 6000 words produce? If you're single spacing your work, 6000 words is close to 12 pages; double spaced around 24 pages.

How Many Pages is 400 Words?

How many pages does 400 words take? A word count of 400 words will result in around four-fifths of a page single spaced and and one and three-fifths of a page double spaced.

How Many Pages is 2500 Words?

What is the page count of 2500 words? 2500 words is about 5 pages single spaced and 10 pages double spaced.

About Word Counter

Word Counter is an easy to use online tool for counting words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and pages in real time, along with spelling and grammar checking. Get started by typing directly into the text area above or pasting in your content from elsewhere. Word and character counts will display at the top, any writing mistakes will be underlined and your most frequently used keywords will appear to the right.

You can also use Word Counter to track your text length against common web standards like Twitter's tweet character count (140), Google's meta description (300), and Facebook's average post display length (~250). If your text is longer than 360 characters the counter will show you the number of sentences, paragraphs and pages instead; useful metrics for blog posts, articles, papers, essays, dissertations and other long-form content.

How to Include a Word Count in Your Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Including a word count in your essay may seem like a small detail, but it’s an important part of meeting your assignment’s requirements. Luckily, it’s a simple process that can be accomplished in just a few steps. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly how to add that word count with ease.

Step by Step Tutorial: Including a Word Count in an Essay

Before we dive into the steps, let’s talk about why you might need to include a word count in your essay. Sometimes, your teacher or professor will ask for this to make sure you’re meeting the length requirements for the assignment. Plus, it shows that you’re following directions and paying attention to detail.

Step 1: Finish Writing Your Essay

Complete your essay before you worry about the word count.

After you’ve finished writing your essay, you’ll have the final word count that you need to include. This is important because if you add the word count before you’re done, you might end up with the wrong number.

Step 2: Use a Word Processor’s Word Count Feature

Locate and use the word count tool in your word processor to find out the total number of words in your essay.

Most word processors, like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, have a built-in feature that automatically counts the words in your document. This is the easiest and most accurate way to find your word count.

Step 3: Place the Word Count at the End of Your Essay

Type out the word count at the end of your essay, usually after the conclusion.

Once you have your word count, you’ll need to decide where to place it in your essay. The standard practice is to include it at the end of your document, typically after the conclusion section.

After completing these steps, your essay will have the required word count clearly displayed. This not only meets the assignment’s guidelines but also gives a professional touch to your work.

Tips for Including a Word Count in an Essay

• Always double-check the word count to ensure accuracy.
• Include the word count on the same page as your essay, not on a separate page.
• If your teacher has specific instructions on where to place the word count, follow them.
• Don’t include the title page, headers, footers, or bibliography in your word count unless instructed.
• Use the word count feature periodically as you write to keep track of your essay’s length.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do i include the word count in the header or footer.

No, the word count should be included in the main body of your essay, typically at the end.

Including the word count in the main body makes it easily visible to the reader and ensures it’s seen as part of the essay’s content.

Should the word count be bolded or in a different font?

The word count does not need to be bolded or in a different font, but it should be clear and easy to find.

Keeping the word count in the same font as your essay maintains consistency and prevents it from being distracting.

What if my essay is under or over the word count?

If your essay does not meet the required word count, you may need to add more content or edit for brevity.

Always aim to meet the word count requirements as closely as possible, as this is often a key component of the assignment.

Can I include the word count in the middle of my essay?

It’s best to include the word count at the end of your essay to avoid disrupting the flow of your writing.

Placing the word count at the end maintains the structure of your essay and keeps the focus on the content.

What if my word processor doesn’t have a word count feature?

If your word processor lacks a word count feature, you can use online tools or manually count the words.

Online tools can provide an accurate word count, but if you’re counting manually, be thorough to avoid mistakes.

• Finish writing your essay.
• Use your word processor’s word count feature.
• Place the word count at the end of your essay.

Including a word count in your essay is a breeze once you know the steps. It boils down to finishing your essay, utilizing your word processor’s tool, and placing the count where it’s easily found. This simple act of including a word count not only ensures you’re meeting the requirements but also adds a professional touch to your work. While it might seem like a minor detail, it’s one that can have a big impact on how your essay is received. So, the next time you’re asked to include a word count, you’ll know exactly what to do. Remember, attention to detail can make all the difference in your writing. Now go ahead and hit that word count target like a pro!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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Consider the following thesis for a short paper that analyzes different approaches to stopping climate change:

Climate activism that focuses on personal actions such as recycling obscures the need for systemic change that will be required to slow carbon emissions.

The author of this thesis is promising to make the case that personal actions not only will not solve the climate problem but may actually make the problem more difficult to solve. In order to make a convincing argument, the author will need to consider how thoughtful people might disagree with this claim. In this case, the author might anticipate the following counterarguments:

• By encouraging personal actions, climate activists may raise awareness of the problem and encourage people to support larger systemic change.  
• Personal actions on a global level would actually make a difference.  
• Personal actions may not make a difference, but they will not obscure the need for systemic solutions.  
• Personal actions cannot be put into one category and must be differentiated.

In order to make a convincing argument, the author of this essay may need to address these potential counterarguments. But you don’t need to address every possible counterargument. Rather, you should engage counterarguments when doing so allows you to strengthen your own argument by explaining how it holds up in relation to other arguments. 

How to address counterarguments 

Once you have considered the potential counterarguments, you will need to figure out how to address them in your essay. In general, to address a counterargument, you’ll need to take the following steps.

• State the counterargument and explain why a reasonable reader could raise that counterargument.  
• Counter the counterargument. How you grapple with a counterargument will depend on what you think it means for your argument. You may explain why your argument is still convincing, even in light of this other position. You may point to a flaw in the counterargument. You may concede that the counterargument gets something right but then explain why it does not undermine your argument. You may explain why the counterargument is not relevant. You may refine your own argument in response to the counterargument.  
• Consider the language you are using to address the counterargument. Words like but or however signal to the reader that you are refuting the counterargument. Words like nevertheless or still signal to the reader that your argument is not diminished by the counterargument. 

Here’s an example of a paragraph in which a counterargument is raised and addressed.

Image version

The two steps are marked with counterargument and “counter” to the counterargument: COUNTERARGUMENT/ But some experts argue that it’s important for individuals to take action to mitigate climate change. In “All That Performative Environmentalism Adds Up,” Annie Lowery argues that personal actions to fight climate change, such as reducing household trash or installing solar panels, matter because change in social behavior can lead to changes in laws. [1]  

COUNTER TO THE COUNTERARGUMENT/ While Lowery may be correct that individual actions can lead to collective action, this focus on individual action can allow corporations to receive positive publicity while continuing to burn fossil fuels at dangerous rates.

Where to address counterarguments 

There is no one right place for a counterargument—where you raise a particular counterargument will depend on how it fits in with the rest of your argument. The most common spots are the following:

• Before your conclusion This is a common and effective spot for a counterargument because it’s a chance to address anything that you think a reader might still be concerned about after you’ve made your main argument. Don’t put a counterargument in your conclusion, however. At that point, you won’t have the space to address it, and readers may come away confused—or less convinced by your argument.
• Before your thesis Often, your thesis will actually be a counterargument to someone else’s argument. In other words, you will be making your argument because someone else has made an argument that you disagree with. In those cases, you may want to offer that counterargument before you state your thesis to show your readers what’s at stake—someone else has made an unconvincing argument, and you are now going to make a better one. 
• After your introduction In some cases, you may want to respond to a counterargument early in your essay, before you get too far into your argument. This is a good option when you think readers may need to understand why the counterargument is not as strong as your argument before you can even launch your own ideas. You might do this in the paragraph right after your thesis. 
• Anywhere that makes sense  As you draft an essay, you should always keep your readers in mind and think about where a thoughtful reader might disagree with you or raise an objection to an assertion or interpretation of evidence that you are offering. In those spots, you can introduce that potential objection and explain why it does not change your argument. If you think it does affect your argument, you can acknowledge that and explain why your argument is still strong.

[1] Annie Lowery, “All that Performative Environmentalism Adds Up.” The Atlantic . August 31, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/08/your-tote-bag-can-mak…

• picture_as_pdf Counterargument

• O level English
• A Level English
• Examination Techniques
• O Level Literature in English

HOW TO COUNT WORDS IN A COMPOSITION/ESSAY

• Step 1 : Count words per each line. To get better results, count the first line, any middle line, and the last line of the page of your composition. For instance, you can get 8 words for first line; 7 words for any middle line; and 8 words for the last line. By estimation, you can assume that each line contain 8 words.
• Step 2: Count the lines per page. For instance, you can get 22 lines per page.
• Step 3 : Multiply. Take 8 (the total number or words per line) multiply by 22 lines of the whole page. Here you will have the total of 176 words by approximation.
• Step 4 : Because you already know the numbers of words per page, now multiply 176 by the total pages of your composition/essay. For example, your essay may have 6 full pages. That means, your essay will have 1056 words by approximation. This total number is calculated by multiplying 176 words by 6. Even if there may be some half pages, it is still simple to estimate the number of words per page.

Click  Here  to Download the Previews of each  ‘O’ Level English Revision Below:

01.General ‘O’ Level Revision    

02.Hawathe Bus Driver   

03.Kalulu the Hare   

04.Passed Like a Shadow    

05.Unanswered Cries    

06.Black Hermit   

07.The Lion and the Jewel

08.Song of  Lawino   

09.Lost Beauty  

THE BOOKS ARE READY!

GET THE COMPLETE BOOKS FOR ‘O’ LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

GET THE COMPLETE BOOK FOR ‘O’ LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE :  “A Comprehensive Handbook for Ordinary Level Literature”    (PDF) with the following contents for just TZS 5,000/=

CHAPTER ONE: THEORY OF LITERATURE:

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• Part Two: DEFINITIONS OF LITERATURE
• Part Three: NATURE AND ORIGIN OF LITERATURE
• Part Four: LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
• Part Five: FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE
• Part Six: FICTION AND NONFICTION
• Part Seven: TYPES OF LITERATURE
• Part Eight: ELEMENTS OF LITERATURE

CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF ‘O’ LEVEL CLASS READERS

• HAWA THE BUS DRIVER
• KALULU THE HARE   

CHAPTER THREE: INTERPRETING SIMPLE POEMS: FORMS

• INTRODUCTION
• Analysis of ‘WHAT A HUMAN BEING DOES’
• Analysis of ‘GOOD HERE! BAD THERE!’
• Analysis of ‘THE BUNCH OF BANANA STOOPS WHERE IT IS’
• Analysis of ‘MY BROTHER’

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF NOVELS

• PASSED LIKE A SHADOW   
• UNANSWERED CRIES   

CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS OF PLAYS

• BLACK HERMIT   
• THE LION AND THE JEWEL     

CHAPTER SIX: ANALYSIS OF POETRY

• Part One: Analysis of ‘Song of Lawino’   
• Part Two: Analysis of ‘Lost Beauty’   
• Part Three: Analysis of ‘Eat More’   
• Part Four: Analysis of ‘Ballad of the Landlord’   
• Part Five: Analysis of ‘If We Must Die’   
• Part Six: Analysis of ‘Your Pain’   
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GET ANOTHER BOOK FOR LITERATURE IN ENGLISH :  “A Comprehensive Handbook for Ordinary Level Literature in English”     (PDF) with the following contents for just TZS 5,000/=

CHAPTER TWO: ANALYSIS OF NOVELS

• THE OLD MAN AND THE MEDAL   

CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF PLAYS

• THE LION AND THE JEWEL   
• KINJEKETILE

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF POETRY

• Part One: Analysis of ‘Eat More’   
• Part Two: Analysis of ‘Ballad of the Landlord’
• Part Three: Analysis of ‘If We Must Die’
• Part Four: Analysis of ‘Your Pain’
• Part Five: Analysis of ‘An Abandoned Bundle’

FOR MORE NOTES

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11 Comments

Please share your thoughts

Helpful post.

Thank you Angel Nusrat!

good work !!!

Thank you very much MWL. JAPHET MASATU! It’s always my great pleasure to have you inhere. Together we can make teaching an enjoyable and outcome-oriented career. You are always welcome!

With this respect, youngsters need to sharpen their physical capacities to stay dynamic and sound over the long haul. thesis writing services

Thanks for your answers

What if the first line I get 12 words,the middle one I get 10 and the last one I get 9? How am I going to estimate?

If ur first, second and third lines are different e.g 12, 10 and 9 Just add them and divide by 3 i.e 12+10+9=31/3= approximately 10

Thanks! This really did help a lot :)

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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