Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Counting the Instances of a Text String.
When you are working in a large document, you may want to know how many times a particular text string occurs within a portion of the document. One way you can find this information is to create a macro that will examine a selected range of text to see how many instances it contains. Consider the following macro:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: 
Sub CountString()
Dim MyDoc As String
Dim txt As String
Dim t As String
MyDoc = ActiveDocument.Range.Text
txt = InputBox("Text to find")
t = Replace(MyDoc, txt, "")
MsgBox (Len(MyDoc) - Len(t)) / Len(txt) & " occurrences of " & txt
End Sub
Select the text you want analyzed and then run the macro. It assigns the selected text to the MyDoc variable (so nothing in the actual document is affected) and then asks you to enter the text string you want to find. The Replace function is then used to replace all the instances of that string within the MyDoc variable. The text, after the replacement, is assigned to the variable t. The length of the "before" text (MyDoc) and the "after" text (t) is compared and the number of replacements calculated.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (5651) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Counting the Instances of a Text String.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
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2016-11-21 13:41:23
Matthew H
I couldn't get this to work in my version of Word. It would only give me stats for the whole document, not my selection. I am using Word 2016.
To get it to work properly, I just changed
MyDoc = ActiveDocument.Range.Text
to
MyDoc = Selection.Text
Enjoy.
2016-02-16 09:58:47
David Goldberg
So it is. :) Well, it didn't matter, because I was familiar enough with the process that I didn't have to read the third paragraph. But posterity will appreciate your correction, no doubt.
2016-02-15 23:17:41
Morris Manning
David: The third paragraph previously submmitted is partially garbled. Assign any legal key combination. (I used Alt,C,S without the punctuation.)
If you prefer to assign "CountString" to the Quick Access Toolbar, open the "Customize Quick Access Toolbar" dialog. Select Macros" from the "Choose Commands From" drop-down list. Select "CountString" and add to the QAT
2016-02-15 22:54:13
David Goldberg
Got it- worked fine. Thanks Morris!
2016-02-15 22:15:11
Morris Manning
David: Open Word and then the VB editor (Alt + F11). Copy the "CountString" macro to a module in the Normal Project. Close VB editor.
Right-click the ribbon, select "Customize the Ribbon" dialog and, in the lower left corner, open the keyboard shortcuts dialog. In the Catagories section scroll down to and select Macros. A list of macros from the Normal Project will be listed. Select 'CountString' from the list.
Enter a key combination in "Press New Shortcut Key" entry box such as ALT used "ALT Before clicking Assign, look where it says “Currently Assigned To”, and make sure you are not about to reasign a really useful shortcut! Make sure Normal.dotm is selected and select "Assign".
2016-02-15 16:48:27
David Goldberg
The macro works great, but how do we assign it to a hotkey combination?
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
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