Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 17, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Word keeps track of quite a bit of summary information for your documents. One of the pieces of information maintained is the number of characters in your document, and another is the number of words. This information is updated whenever the document is saved or printed. Word allows you to insert this summary information into your document by following these steps:
Figure 1. The Field dialog box.
By combining these two fields, you can easily calculate the average word length. To do this, follow these steps:
{={NumChars}/{NumWords}}
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (387) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Word and Character Count Information.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
One of the things that Word keeps track of regarding your document is the number of characters it contains. Using the ...
Discover MoreUpdating form fields in Word can be confusing, especially when the fields are locked in a form. This tips explains why ...
Discover MoreWant to copy a field code and paste it in some other Windows program? This can be trickier than it sounds. Here's the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments