How to Count the Words in Microsoft Excel

Quick summary

To count words in Microsoft Excel, you can use a combination of the LEN, TRIM, and SUBSTITUTE functions in a single formula. This approach accurately calculates the word count in any cell by measuring the difference in character length before and after removing spaces.

Steps

1. In your Microsoft Excel worksheet, select the cell where you want to display the result, then type an equals (=) sign to begin the formula.
2. Type LEN and select it from the suggested results to start building the formula.
3. Add the TRIM function by typing TRIM and choosing it from the suggested results.
4. Select the cell containing the text you want to count.
5. Close the first part of the formula with two closing parentheses.
6. Type a minus (-) sign to continue building the formula.
7. Enter a second LEN function by typing LEN and selecting it from the suggested results.
8. Add the SUBSTITUTE function by typing SUBSTITUTE and selecting it from the suggested results.
9. Select the cell with the text again, then type a comma (,).
10. Add two quotation marks with one space between them (" ") to represent a single space, then type another comma (,).
11. Add two empty quotation marks ("") to exclude spaces from the count, close with two closing parentheses, and append +1 at the end of the formula.
12. Click anywhere in the worksheet to run the formula and display the word count result.
13. The word count from the selected cell will now be calculated and displayed.