How to Count Words in LaTeX or Overleaf?

• If you're working within an Overleaf project, I recommend using the Word Count tool that is built into Overleaf, which is based on TeXcount.
• The advantages of TeXcount over a standard word counter are that it knows about LaTeX commands, equations, citations, headings and included files.
• For local LaTeX projects, I recommend to use texcount -inc -sum main.tex which counts the main file and the included files, and then displays a clean total.
• Word counts are approximate, and may vary from one format to another of captions, footnotes, tables, equations, appendices, and references.
• When you are ready to submit your paper, thesis, or report, always check your paper's word count process against the proper process outlined in your journal or university or conference requirements.

This is not a plain text file. It contains marking like:

\section{Introduction}
This paper analyzes the effect of...
\cite{smith2024}
\begin{equation}
E = mc^2
\end{equation}

The simplest word counter can count words, such as the commands \section, \cite, or \begin{equation}. That results in false data.

A word counter for the LaTeX format should:

• Count actual prose
• Ignore most formatting commands!
• Handle headings correctly
• Treat equations separately
• Recognize included files
• Manage citations, captions, footnotes and bibliographies from adherence to chosen settings.

That's why TeXcount is typically the preferred tool. I like TeXcount, as it can deal with LaTeX better than a normal word counter, and ignores most of the commands as regular words.

Count Words in Overleaf for this assignment.

There is no need to install anything as Overleaf has a built-in word counter.

To count the words in Overleaf, follow the steps below.

1. Click Open your Overleaf project.
2. Be sure that the main .tex file is the one you want to select and compile.
3. On the upper left corner click Menu.
4. Select Word Count.
5. Overleaf will run TeXcount and show the word count report.

The report typically contains the word count and counts of each heading, text, math and other document elements. When working on Overleaf, the Word Count tool in Overleaf is the recommended choice since it runs TeXcount on your project.

Important Overleaf Word Count Notes

Word Count is provided in Overleaf by TeXcount. It counts the main file and files included by means of commands like:

\input{chapter1}
\include{chapter2}

The ideal structure for your main.tex file is to be in a folder at the top level of your Overleaf project, rather than in a subfolder.

For Example, this is the suggested structure:

main.tex
chapters/introduction.tex
chapters/methodology.tex
references.bib

This structure can cause problems with the built-in word count, when the main document is not in the project root:

src/main.tex
chapters/introduction.tex
references.bib

TeXcount can be used from the command line if you're working with LaTeX on your computer.

Basic TeXcount Command

This command is in the folder containing your principal .tex file:

texcount main.tex

This will provide a detailed word count of the file.

Get Only the Total Word Count

You can use this to display only the total count:

texcount -sum main.tex

This can be helpful when you are just looking for the last digit.

Count Included Files

Use: if your project incorporates \input or \include.

texcount -inc main.tex

To get the number of files included, and return just that, use:

texcount -inc -sum main.tex

This is one of the best commands to use for theses, dissertations, reports, and multiple file research papers. I use a local Texcount in case I want more control, for example, if the document is long and there are chapters, references, captions, or included files.

If you only need to count words in the abstract, introduction, conclusion or a specific chapter, you can proceed to skip the rest of the book.

The easiest way is to separate that part out into a separate file and run TeXcount on it.

For example:

abstract.tex
introduction.tex
methods.tex
results.tex

Then run:

texcount abstract.tex

Or:

texcount -sum abstract.tex

This will provide a purer word count for each section of the paper.

A lot of journals, universities and conferences don't count references as part of the word count.

The bibliography file will not count towards the page count, and typically you can exclude it by omitting the .tex file.

Use:

texcount -inc -sum main.tex

If your bibliography is being counted unexpectedly, then do not forget to ensure that your references are entered by hand within the .tex file. A bibliography, if written in hand, can be considered as regular text.

Example:

\begin{thebibliography}{9}
\bibitem{smith2024}
Smith, J. Title of the article...
\end{thebibliography}

If your institution is not requiring references, make sure you ask if they should be omitted from the total count or included separately.

Every submission guideline tallies different elements. Some have captions and footnotes. Others exclude them.

The number of Texcounts in a document may be customized, but it will depend on the structure of the document and options selected.

Some factors that can influence your count are:

• Figure captions
• Table captions
• Footnotes
• Abstract
• Appendices
• Bibliography
• Equations
• Display math
• Section headings
• Author affiliations
• Tables

Always check your word counts against the rules of your journal, conference or university before you submit.

Some users would like to see the word count in the compiled PDF. This can be achieved using shell escape to run TeXcount, but is not necessarily available in all LaTeX environments.

One of the common methods is:

\immediate\write18{texcount -sum main.tex > wordcount.txt}
\input{wordcount.txt}

But for this, the shell escape should be enabled. In many instances, it is better to include the word count in the Word Count tool on Overleaf, or compute it yourself, using TeXcount, rather than adding it to the PDF file.

A manual word count report is more secure and convenient to verify for the majority of academic submissions.

The following are some of the most useful commands:

Count one file

texcount main.tex

Count total words only

texcount -sum main.tex

Count main file and included files

texcount -inc main.tex

Count included files and show total only

texcount -inc -sum main.tex

Count a specific chapter or section file

texcount chapter1.tex

Save word count to a text file

texcount -inc -sum main.tex > wordcount.txt

This will be helpful when you have to submit a word count proof.

The word count of a LaTeX paper may be different when counted by different tools and with different settings. If your word count is at the extremes, review the following reasons to understand why.

1. Included Files Are Not Being Counted

When you are working on your document and it includes any other files in the form of \input or \include, be sure to use the -inc option locally:

texcount -inc -sum main.tex

In the Overleaf editor, ensure that your main file is properly set up and at the top-level of the project.

2. Tables Are Counted Differently

The number of times a text appears within a table may not always be the same as you'd expect. There are some tools which render the content of tables as floating content, others render tables as regular content.

If the text in your table is important for your submission, then do look at the detailed output of TeXcount instead of just the total.

3. Equations Are Not Counted as Normal Words

Mathematical expressions are typically counted separately from prose, unless they are embedded within prose. Unless embedded in prose, mathematical expressions are usually counted separately from prose.

For example:

\[
E = mc^2
\]

This is not to be used as a sentence in the main text.

4. Citations Can Affect the Count

The following commands are called citations:

\cite{smith2024}

are not typically classified as “regular words” as in typed text. However, there are a number of potential pitfalls of manually written references.

5. Comments Are Ignored

The typical way to start a comment in LaTeX is with a %:

% This is a comment

Word counts are not required to include comments.

The simplest way is for most Overleaf users to:

Menu → Word Count

If you are a local user of LaTeX, the best command is:

texcount -inc -sum main.tex

This includes the main file as well as any included files and returns a clean total. This is a guide for a student, a researcher or any academic writer who require a practical approach to word counting in LaTeX or Overleaf without having to use a simple word counter that may confuse the counting of LaTeX commands.