Text & Writing
Counting words by whitespace
Trim the text, then split it on runs of whitespace. Each resulting piece is one word, regardless of the punctuation it carries.
The Formula
words = number of whitespace-separated tokens
Trim the text, then split it on runs of whitespace. Each resulting piece is one word, regardless of the punctuation it carries.
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| t | Token | token | A maximal run of characters with no whitespace inside. |
| W | Word count | words | How many such tokens the text contains. |
What Each Symbol Means
ttoken
Token
A maximal run of characters with no whitespace inside.
Wwords
Word count
How many such tokens the text contains.
See It Worked With Real Numbers
A formula on its own does not tell you which number goes where. The how to count words page applies this equation to a concrete case, shows every intermediate step, and names the mistakes that produce a wrong answer even when the algebra is right.
Where This Formula Appears
This equation is the working core of How To Count Words, filed under Everyday Life. Every number the guide produces comes from substituting into this one line.