How to Count the Most Frequently Used Words in a Word Document
Question details
The user needs a way to find out the frequency of unique words used within a specific document to analyze text repetition.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Analyzing a document's text to generate a list of all unique words alongside their occurrence counts.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Word provides a total word count but does not have a built-in command to bulk-list individual unique words and their frequencies.
Ensure you have the Developer tab enabled in your word processor if you plan to run VBA macros. If utilizing third-party online text analyzers, verify that your document does not contain sensitive or confidential information.
Use a VBA Macro to Count Word Frequency
Running a VBA macro is the most secure and effective method to count unique words and their frequencies directly within your local document.
A Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro can systematically scan your entire document, count how many times each word appears, and generate a new document containing a neatly formatted results table. Since standard word processors lack a native bulk frequency button, this script-based approach is highly recommended for sensitive offline documents.
Open your document in Microsoft Word and press Alt + F11 to launch the Visual Basic for Applications Editor.
In the top menu, click 'Insert' and select 'Module' to open a blank coding window.
Paste a standard word-frequency macro script (such as those provided by Word MVP Graham Mayor) into the new module window.
Press F5 or click the green 'Run' arrow in the toolbar to execute the script.
Wait for the process to complete. A new document will automatically open, displaying a table with each unique word sorted by its frequency.
Utilize an Online Word Frequency Counter
If you are unfamiliar with macros and your document is not confidential, using a free online text analysis tool is a fast alternative.
Edit and Analyze Documents Seamlessly with WPS Office
While advanced bulk word frequency analysis requires macros in standard office suites, you can handle all your everyday text editing, tracking, and word counting seamlessly in WPS Office. As a powerful, lightweight, and free alternative to Microsoft Word, WPS Writer gives you the essential tools to track document statistics and search specific terminology effortlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check the frequency of a single specific word without using a macro?
Yes. You can use the Find feature to check a single word. Press Ctrl + F to open the Navigation or Search pane, type the specific word you want to check, and the tool will highlight the matches and display the total number of times that specific word appears in your document.
Does the standard Word Count feature show word frequencies?
No. The standard Word Count tool, typically found under the Review tab, only calculates total document statistics such as the overall number of pages, words, characters, paragraphs, and lines. It does not itemize or list individual unique words.
Are online word frequency counters safe for business documents?
It depends on the platform's privacy policy. While online counters are convenient for generic or public texts, it is highly recommended to avoid pasting documents that contain personal data, financial information, or confidential business details into third-party web tools.
