How to count words in a PowerPoint presentation
Count the words on every slide of a .pptx, with the speaker notes counted apart.
PowerPoint has no word count button like Word’s. The desktop app keeps a total all the same: on Windows under File › Info › Show All Properties › Words, and on a Mac under File › Properties › Statistics. The Windows figure includes the speaker notes, and PowerPoint for the web has no count at all.
Or drop the .pptx below: the words are counted slide by slide, with the notes kept apart, and the file never leaves your browser.
The count comes in total and for every slide, with the words in the speaker notes shown apart from the words on the slides, because those are the two numbers people are asked for. Characters with and without spaces are counted too, and slides with no text at all are flagged — usually a full-page picture.
How to use it
- Add the .pptx file.
- Read the total, the words on each slide and the words in the notes.
- Tick the box to add the speaker notes to the total.
Why use this tool
Completely private
Everything runs inside your browser. Your files and text are never sent to a server.
Free, with no limits
No sign-up, no watermarks and no cap on how many times you can use it.
Instant results
There is no upload or queue to wait for, so results appear as fast as your device can work.
Works on any device
Runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet or desktop. Nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
- Does PowerPoint have a word count?
- Not as a button. The desktop app keeps a total under File › Info › Show All Properties › Words on Windows, and File › Properties › Statistics on a Mac. On Windows it includes the speaker notes, and Microsoft says punctuation marks are counted as words, so it can come out high. PowerPoint for the web shows no count.
- How many words per slide?
- There is no fixed rule. The often-quoted 6×6 guideline — at most six bullet points of six words — comes to about 36 words a slide. The table on this page shows the count for every slide, so the crowded ones stand out.
- Does this count speaker notes?
- Separately, always. The words in the notes are shown beside the words on the slides; tick the box to add them to the total. PowerPoint’s own figure on Windows includes them without saying so.
- What counts as a word?
- A run of characters with no space in it, which is the same rule the word counter on this site uses. Two tools here should never disagree about a number.
- Why does it say some slides are empty?
- A slide with no text at all, which is usually a full-page picture. Worth knowing when a word count comes out lower than you expected.
- Is my file uploaded?
- No. It is read in your browser and never leaves your device.
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