The note-taking app with customized styles shows the counter bar at the top with a full-sized textarea below. The web app with example text, showing accurate character and word counts.

Microsoft Word displays the word count in the status bar at the bottom left, but you can also have it permanently show the character count as well. Here's how.

How to check word count in Google Docs To check word count on a computer, make sure you have your file open. Select "Tools" in the top bar and choose "Word Count" in the dropdown menu.