POSIX / IEEE Std 1003.1
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Counter comparison
Word Count Comparison see why tools disagree Counts by method
Proprietary (reverse-engineered)
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Proprietary (reverse-engineered)
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Open-source (ICU-based)
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Open-source (wp_word_count)
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Unicode Standard Annex #29
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UAX #29 + Unicode CLDR / LDML
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ICU (open-source)
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ECMA-402 (TC39)
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GMX-V 1.0/2.0 (LISA/ETSI/GALA)
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GMX-V 2.0 (ETSI)
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Why counts differ
Rules differ by product
Word processors, CMS editors and standards do not always agree on URLs, email addresses, hyphenated words, punctuation, CJK text and markup.
Use the required source of truth
If a client, teacher, editor or platform checks the final count in one tool, choose that method before making length decisions.
Word count comparison questions
Why do Microsoft Word and Google Docs show different word counts?
The two products treat hyphenated terms, URLs, email addresses, numbers and punctuation differently. Their counts can drift further apart on technical or multilingual text.
What is the difference between POSIX wc and Unicode UAX 29?
POSIX wc splits on ASCII whitespace and ignores Unicode word
boundaries. UAX 29 defines language-aware word boundaries for scripts including
Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Hebrew and CJK.
What is GMX-V word counting?
GMX-V is the LISA Global Information Management Metrics Volume standard used in localization. It defines repeatable word counts for translation pricing and quoting.
Which counting method should I trust?
Use whichever method matches the place where the count is checked. If a client uses Microsoft Word, match that. If a CMS or translation tool checks the count, match that instead.