Word count in PowerPoint

Windows

1. Click the File tab, then Info.
2. At the bottom of the list of properties on the right, click Show All Properties.
3. Words appears fourth in the list. It counts all the text on slides and notes pages.

Mac

1. Choose File > Properties.
2. Click Statistics.

PowerPoint for the web

There's no word count in PowerPoint for the web. Open the presentation in the desktop app, or copy the text into the counter on this page.

Why the count may look high

PowerPoint includes punctuation in its word count. A slide full of bullet points with dashes, or numbers split by symbols, can come out higher than the same text in Word.

Count only the speaker notes

Microsoft suggests sending the notes to Word:

1. Go to File > Export > Create Handouts, then click Create Handouts.
2. Pick a page layout that includes notes, choose Paste, and click OK.
3. The presentation opens as a Word document. Word shows the number of words in its status bar.

Delete the slide images and slide text in Word first if you only want the notes counted.

Count the words on one slide

PowerPoint only counts the whole presentation. For one slide, or to check that each slide stays under a target such as 30 words:

1. Click into the text box on the slide and press Ctrl + A (⌘ + A on a Mac) to select its text.
2. Copy it, then paste it into the counter on this page.
3. Repeat for any other text boxes on the slide.

The counter also shows speaking time, which helps if you're timing a talk to go with the slides.