How to Count Words in PowerPoint?

• A simple word count can be displayed in PowerPoint from File > Info > Properties but the result is dependent on the version of PowerPoint and your operating system.
• If you really need the number, I suggest exporting the presentation to Microsoft Word as speaker notes will be included, making it more accurate.
• When you want to only count the visible slide text and not speaker notes or hidden text, use Outline View.
• Text within an image, screenshot or scanned file is generally not included in PowerPoint and will require OCR or manual typing.
• For timed presentations: Count your speaker notes separately as they are typically the words you will speak.

When time limits are set on your PowerPoint, you will know the word count, which will help you manage the duration of your presentation, enhance the readability and prepare for time limits. It can be particularly helpful for business decks, academic presentations, webinars, training slides, sales pitches and conference talks.

Slides with long words can end up being cramped, hard to read, and confusing. If you're giving a presentation without support, a low word count might indicate that your slides require more context.

Yes, but not quite.

Basic PowerPoint document statistics, such as number of words, can be displayed in PowerPoint; the options available vary based on the version of PowerPoint and operating system. The built-in word count may include the text on the slides and notes, and may not provide the same level of control as you would have in Microsoft Word.

If you need to count the number of speakers, it's best to copy the content into Word for the most accurate count, particularly when the speaker's note is important. As far as I can tell, PowerPoint's word count is good for a good ballpark figure but not for an exact count when I need one.

The powerpoint for windows contains presentation statistics which can be accessed via the file properties panel.

To count words in PowerPoint on Windows:

1. Open PowerPoint.
2. Click on File at the top left.
3. Click on the left menu bar, select Info.
4. On the right side, search for Properties.
5. Use the Show All Properties option if not all properties are displayed.
6. Check for the Words field.

This number is an approximation number of words for the presentation. This is my tip if I simply want to see how much text there is in my presentation.

Important Note

The number of words displayed in PowerPoint may not always distinguish between the words on the slides and the speaker's words. For a more detailed count, use Microsoft Word.

Word count might not always appear the same in PowerPoint for Mac and PowerPoint for Windows. You can use the built-in word count feature, or if you don't have one, the simplest way is to take a copy of your presentation text or export it to Word and use its text count feature.

Steps for Mac Users

1. Open the PowerPoint file.
2. Highlight the text for which you want to count.
3. Copy the text.
4. Open Microsoft Word.
5. Copy and paste the text into a new document.
6. Look under the Word window to see how many words are in the document.
7. To get the count of words if the word count does not show up in Word, click on Tools > Word Count.

This is one of the most reliable methods to count the number of words in PowerPoint, particularly when you have speaker notes in your presentation.

To export PowerPoint to Word:

1. Open PowerPoint presentation.
2. Click File.
3. Select Export.
4. Choose Create Handouts.
5. In Microsoft Word go to Create Handouts.
6. Choose a layout, for example:
   • Notes next to slides
   • Notes below slides
   • Outline only
7. Click OK.
8. After the content appears in Word, view the word count located at the bottom of the screen.

This is a good approach since Word provides a more accurate and honest word count than PowerPoint does. If I need a more precise word count, I would rather export the PowerPoint file to Word so that I can get a better look at the text.

Presentations usually have their own script that is presented verbatim in the speaker notes, and it is sometimes necessary to take the count of it separately.

Best Way to Count Speaker Notes

The simplest way to do this is found under the Create Handouts option when you export your PowerPoint notes to Word. Use a Word layout that has notes and Word's word count tool.

It will be very useful if you are going to give a timed speech and want to gauge the time it will take.

There are fewer advanced file statistics options in PowerPoint for the web compared to the desktop version. When using PowerPoint Online, you should copy your text to Microsoft Word Online or to another word processor that has a word counter.

To count words in PowerPoint online, you can follow these steps:

1. Open your presentation in PowerPoint Online.
2. Print out the text from your slides or notes.
3. Copy and paste it into Word Online, Google Forms or an online word counter you trust.
4. Take advantage of the word count feature that that tool provides.

This technique is suitable for smaller decks, but may be time consuming for larger decks. If I have to give a timed presentation, I always review the speaker notes first and separately because what I actually say is typically in the notes.

Use PowerPoint's Outline View to easily retrieve the text from your slides.

Steps to Use Outline View

1. Open the PowerPoint presentation.
2. Go to the View tab.
3. Select Outline View.
4. Copy the text from the outline pane.
5. Copy and paste into Ms Word.
6. Take advantage of Word's word count tool.

This approach can be helpful if you want to count the text you see on slides but not the speaker notes.

By default, PowerPoint will NOT calculate the word count for words in images, screen shots, or scanned images. For Example, if you drop an image of a paragraph into your presentation, PowerPoint will recognize it as an image rather than as text that is able to be edited.

If you want to count the words within the image, you would have to use OCR software or enter the words into a word processor. If I use OCR or retype the images, I count the word count for the text portion as well in my PowerPoint word count.

PowerPoint might include editable text contained in text boxes, shapes, SmartArt, and some chart text labels. But, results will differ as per the manner of insertion of the content.

If it's important to get the words right, copy the entire text to Word and verify the word count in Word.

There is no set formula, but a smaller amount of text, generally, is better. A rule of thumb is to have one main idea per slide and to not use paragraphs on slides.

When presenting live, try to keep your text on the slides sparse and to the point, and use speaker notes for detailed explanations. With a self-guided deck, you might require more textual context, but the slides should still be readable. I try to have only one idea on each slide to get my audience the information fast.

The normal rate of speech is about 120-150 words per minute. Based on that extent:

These estimates are based on your speaking rate, pauses, engagement with the audience and transitions between slides.

The most effective approach is dependent on the item you want to count:

The best and most usable result is likely to be the Words version when exported from the presentation.

Eliminate repeating phrases, use short bullet points to explain, and help the audience understand your topic better by transferring detailed explanations to the speaker notes. Don't include your full script on slides unless you have a scriptless deck.

The PowerPoint presentation that you use to support your message should complement rather than detract from it.