Counting words

A

akiaki

Registered Member

Aug 8, 2011

87

10

• Sep 21, 2011

• #1

Simple question: I just wanted to verify that when we talk about 300 word articles, one, two and three letter words don't count, right?

Followup: Is there any quick and easy tool that does word counts for you? I don't want to go to my linux box and use wc

 

tubeincreaser

Regular Member

Jul 24, 2008

393

144

• Sep 21, 2011

• #2

Yeah they do, most people just use word count in Microsoft Word.

 

7878

BANNED

Jun 14, 2009

1,301

8,102

• Sep 21, 2011

• #3

akiaki said:

..one, two and three letter words don't count, right?

Click to expand...

I've never heard that before. Words are words. Here's a free one just copypaste:

Code:

wordcounttool.com

 

A

akiaki

Registered Member

Aug 8, 2011

87

10

• Sep 21, 2011
• Thread Starter Thread Starter

• #4

7878 said:

I've never heard that before. Words are words. Here's a free one just copypaste:

Code:

wordcounttool.com

Click to expand...

Really? I guess you didn't go to college. Not counting 1/2/3 (well at least 1/2) letter words is pretty standard and waaaaay predates the interwebs. But I believe you if you say in this context that's the way it goes.

Thanks for the link!!

 

BENNY8877

Supreme Member

Jan 4, 2010

1,382

1,116

• Sep 21, 2011

• #5

Microsoft Word counts all of those, including the one lettered words.

 

Autumn

Elite Member

Nov 18, 2010

2,197

3,073

• Sep 21, 2011

• #6

akiaki said:

Really? I guess you didn't go to college.

Click to expand...

What a complete douche thing to say.

I don't know if our esteemed moderator 7878 is a university graduate or not, but I most certainly am and have also worked in offline publishing and advertising (as a copywriter for one of the world's largest ad agencies, M&C Saatchi). I can say with certainty that how words are counted varies entirely on your field and the format in which you're looking to publish.

For SE research the most important thing is just to pick one standard and stick with it so you're always comparing apples to apples.

 

7878

BANNED

Jun 14, 2009

1,301

8,102

• Sep 21, 2011

• #7

akiaki said:

Really? I guess you didn't go to college.

Click to expand...

Goooooooooosefraba.

 

G

GORILLA

Newbie

Apr 8, 2011

41

40

• Sep 21, 2011

• #8

When I was in school it was 5 characters = 1 word (disregarding spaces). Thats what they used to measure how many words you can type per minute.

 

A

akiaki

Registered Member

Aug 8, 2011

87

10

• Sep 21, 2011
• Thread Starter Thread Starter

• #9

Autumn said:

What a complete douche thing to say.

Click to expand...

Don't take it the wrong way, folks. Whether or not you went to college in my eyes says nothing at all about what kind of person you are or how smart you are. It's merely one of the most common places people run into that method of word measurement - most every university won't count "a" and "I" and so on as words when you're doing your writing proficiency courses and testing. Nothing more is intended; no douchery here. Maybe 7878 was there but just forgot (hangover? ).

 

Last edited: Sep 21, 2011