Why word count matters in academic writing
Well, you’ve done it again! It’s the night before your assignment is due and you’re finally checking your spelling, your references, your formatting – and then you see it:
Word count: 946/1,500.
Or worse, word count: 2,734/2,000.
We’ve all been there. In fact, it’s a rite of passage for students. Are you really a student if you haven’t had word count stress at least once? Finding yourself googling ‘How to increase my word count’ or ‘How to decrease your word count’ in the middle of the night.
Using an essay word counter to stay on track
At Walbrook, we know that writing to length can be tricky, especially when you’re balancing clarity, quality, a well-rounded argument and your own voice. It takes practice to know how much detail is enough and when to stop.
There are plenty of online tools that promise to track your word count, but the easiest and most reliable option is usually the counter built into your writing software. It updates automatically as you work and gives a clear picture of your progress.
If you use an external website to check your word count, be careful about uploading your full essay. Some tools store text online, which can cause your work to appear in plagiarism checks later. It’s safer to copy in just a short section if you want to test it.
With that in mind, here are some simple ways to adjust your word count, whether you need to add depth or trim things back, while keeping the quality of your work intact.
1. Go back to your assignment brief
Your first step after completing a first draft of your assignment, even before you check your spelling and punctuation, is to read over it and make sure you’ve met the marking criteria.
Unfortunately, that means going back to the start, with unbiased eyes, and making sure you’ve answered every part of the question or multiple questions.
In our experience many low word counts can come from missing a key point, like failing to define a concept, compare perspectives, include an example or reference.
Ask yourself: Have I thoroughly explained the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’?
2. Add more evidence
To get high scores on your assignments you need to support your arguments with relevant evidence. The good news is that this will almost certainly increase your word count.
Look back over your work, and if you’ve made a statement, check to see if you’ve got a supporting example (or more than one) to go along side it. You can even include some contradicting ones to give you a more well-rounded argument.
Just remember to include in some context as to why you’ve provided this example and how it’s relevant to your assignment.
Evidence to support your argument can include:
Statistics or research, from credible sources
Quotes from relevant sources
Real-world examples or case studies
This not only boosts your word count but strengthens your argument. Win-win!
3. Explain your points further
If your writing feels a bit too ‘bare-bones’, try adding:
A sentence that unpacks the point
A follow-up that links back to the question
A quick summary of what this section means
Don’t just tell the reader a fact, you need to explain why it’s relevant to the question and what that means.
Example of how to expand on your points:
Example of how to expand on your points:
You wrote: According to Newton. (n.d.). Up to 95% of college students admit to procrastinating on assignments.
Improve it: According to Newton. (n.d.). Up to 95% of college students admit to procrastinating on assignments. This suggests that today's students are facing more external factors which are influencing concentration levels. This could be due to the increased use of smart phones; a 2020 study in Computers in Human Behavior (Heitmayer, M., & Lahlou, S. 2021) found that phone notifications, even when not opened, reduce concentration and increase task-switching.
We’ve added in 53 words by looking into the original quote and explaining it in more depth using another source to back up our point. You could go one step further now and link this back to the question.
4. Use clear topic sentences and linking words (transition words)
Everyone knows the first paragraph should set the scene. Introduce the topic or question at hand, and what the reader can expect from the following essay/report.
But, not everyone remembers to do this throughout their assignment. It’s important to keep reminding the reader of the topic at hand and why the information you’re providing is relevant to that topic.
This means that each paragraph should start with a sentence that either links back to the question or topic you’re writing about or links back to the paragraph before. If you’re diving straight into a quote or idea, you may be skipping this crucial framing step.
Transition words are a great way to do this here are some examples:
In the same way...
Furthermore...
In addition to this...
On the other hand...
Therefore...
Consequently...
In conclusion...
5. Don’t be afraid to rephrase
It’s tough to meet the word count, so if you’ve tried all the above then it’s time to get down to the more detailed stuff. That means going through your work and expanding anything you’ve cut down. Make shorter sentences more padded out, and as a last resort think about changing words like ‘wouldn’t’ into ‘would not’, this is the kind of detail we’re taking about – but always check contractions like these are allowed in you essay guide.
Here are some more examples:
Expanding abbreviations (e.g. ‘AI’ → ‘artificial intelligence’)
Rewriting short, clipped phrases into fuller sentences
Using longer passage/quotes as examples
Using linking and transition words to create flow between ideas not just paragraphs
6. Add in a reflection paragraph
This is particularly good in group projects, or dissertations. It’s great to look back and include your reflections on how you’ve worked as part of a team, or how your research project went. What you’d do differently if you could go back, or what you could improve upon.
For example, ‘If I were to repeat this study I would include XYZ’ or even ‘If this topic was to be researched further, I'd suggest that the researcher focus on XYZ’.
It’s a brilliant skill in life to be able to reflect upon your own work and see where improvements could be made.
When it’s ok to be below the word count
But remember, if you believe you’ve answered the question fully it’s ok to be below word count, they’re there as a guideline not an exact. It could just be that you’re part of an elite club of concise writers.
How to make your essay shorter if you’re over the word count
1. Cut all the unnecessary fluff
Let get straight into it! You need to be tough and remove filler words that don’t add value to your work. Examples include:
In order to → to
It is important to note that… → importantly
Due to the fact that… → because
At this point in time → right now / currently
In the case that → if
Write clearly, not cleverly. You won’t get awards for over complicating sentences.
2. Trim all of the repetition
Sometimes to get our point across we can say things more than once in the hopes we get our point across.
See what we did there?
Let’s reword it: Sometimes to get our point across we can say things more than once.
We’ve just cut out 8 words. Check, that you aren’t repeating yourself in slightly different ways. This not only adds to your word count, but it reads poorly too.
Choose the stronger version and cut the rest.
3. Stick to the question and follow the marking criteria
Writing assignments can sometimes be like a conversation. You start on one topic and then wander into something completely different.
You must be ruthless when cutting word count. If the side-topic you’ve accidentally fallen into doesn’t answer the question. Remove it.
If you’re finding it tough to do this, refer back to the question and the marking criteria and really ask yourself is this contributing positively, or is it just waffle. We can all be precious about our own work, and think that something is important to the overall narrative, but if it’s not in the marking criteria and you’re over your word count you should remove it. Word counts are there for a reason, to keep us on topic.
4. Simplify the examples you use
If you find you’ve used examples for every point, this could be a good opportunity to cut down your word count. It’s true that it’s important to support your work with evidence, but you don’t need multiple examples for every single point.
If you’ve fallen into this trap, go back over your work and choose the one good example which best supports your thinking, and then explain it concisely.
5. Watch your quotes
It’s tempting to bulk up your essay with long quotes, but markers are more interested in your voice and how you form connections between points and the question. Keep quotes short and only use them when they genuinely support your argument.
If you're considering one of our online degrees, enter your details, including a valid phone number, and we’ll call to tell you more about the programme you’re interested in.
Final checks: what not to do
Whether you’re adding or cutting words, avoid these shortcuts:
Don’t change the font size or spacing – your tutor will notice
Don’t add in text in white so they can’t see it – academic marking systems like Turnitin will notice
Don’t stuff your essay with irrelevant filler
Don’t cut down sentences so much that they no longer make sense
Don’t repeat the intro or conclusion just to hit the target
Instead, focus on improving clarity, flow and depth. If you’re still under the word count but truly believe you’ve answered the question, sufficiently remember that it’s just a guide and quality always wins.
Bonus tip: use a word count strategy early
If you find that this is something that you struggle with regularly then try setting mini word count targets for each section of your essay before you start writing. For example:
Introduction: 10%
Main Point 1: 25%
Main Point 2: 25%
Main Point 3: 25%
Conclusion: 10%
This might help you stay on track from the start, so you’re not scrambling to cut or pad at the last minute.
Find out what kind of assessments Walbrook offer
