How words are counted in an essay

It's important to count the words while you are writing an essay or a summary in your academic writing. Here are ways we can follow to count the words:

1. Numbers, dates, and time are counted as individual words. For instance, 15,000 = one word. 7:45 PM = one word. 23/11/2023 = one word. The phrase “two hundred thousand” counts as three words in essay writing. In some cases, numbers like 15,000 may be treated as one word, while a phrase like “two hundred thousand” counts for each component.
2. Dates written using both words and numbers are counted separately. For example, “5th August” is counted as one number and one word. In writing, both components are treated as individual words.
3. Symbols with numbers are not included in the word count. For instance, 25% = one number, and the symbol "%" is not counted. If you write "25 percent," it counts as two words: one for the number and one for the word "percent."
4. Small words such as "of" or "the" are included in the word count. Prepositions and articles like “in,” “to,” and “an” are counted the same as larger words. Every word, no matter how short, is included.
5. Hyphenated words like "well-known" are treated as one word.
6. Compound nouns written as one word are also counted as one word. For instance, "sunlight" is counted as one word.
7. Compound nouns written as two separate words are counted individually. For example, "coffee shop" counts as two words.
8. All words, including those in parentheses, are counted. For example, in writing, if you include "(important)," both the word "important" and the parentheses are considered part of the text.
9. Contractions are counted based on their expanded forms. For example, "don't" counts as two words: "do not."
10. Different contractions are counted based on their meaning. For example, "she's" could mean “she is” (two words) or “she has” (also two words), and it is treated accordingly.