Works: Word Count Counts Punctuation and Pictures as Words (121674)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Works 2.0
  • Microsoft Works 2.0a
  • Microsoft Works 3.0
  • Microsoft Works 3.0a
  • Microsoft Works 3.0b
  • Microsoft Works 4.5
  • Microsoft Works 4.5a
  • Microsoft Works for Windows 95, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Works for Windows 95, version 4.0 4.0a
This article was previously published under Q121674

SYMPTOMS

Single characters (including punctuation marks) and graphical objects that are preceded by and followed by a space or a paragraph mark are counted as words in Works for Windows.

RESOLUTION

To prevent a character or object from being counted as a word, remove the space (or paragraph mark) before or after it.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to Reproduce Problem

  1. In a new word processing document with no header and footer text and no footnotes/endnotes, enter the following text:

    word1 word2 word3 word4 word5 word6 ?
    Word7 Word8 Word9 , <PICTURE> Word10 !

    NOTE: <PICTURE> indicates an inserted picture or OLE object.

    If you manually count, you find 10 words.
  2. From the Tools menu, choose Word Count.

    The result is 14.
The picture and , ! ? were counted as words. If you remove a space before or after the object or character, it is not counted as a word.

NOTE: Because Word 6.0 for Windows counts single characters but not pictures as words, it returns 13 for the test above.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/15/2004
Keywords:kbprb KB121674
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.