The number of words you write is important for some IELTS skills, such as writing and listening. For example, in writing task 1, you should write at least 150 words, and for task 2, at least 250 words. If you write less than this amount, you will lose the score of this section. But do you know how words are counted? In the following, we will examine how to count words.
How to count words?
Before we look at the number of words, let’s talk about counting the words written, especially in the writing section.
As you know, your time in writing is limited, and you should focus more on your writing and legibility. That’s why you don’t have much time to count each word. But there is no other choice. However, there are ways you can guess how many words you have written. One of these methods is to practice in Mock tests or on the main writing sheets. This way, you know after a while that, for example, 250 words are written in a few lines.
In addition, after a lot of practice, you can see if your words have reached the quorum or not. But try to write more than the specified number of words to feel comfortable.
Checking the number of words
Now let’s check the number of words and give examples of how each word is calculated.
1. Dates
Dates are calculated differently in the listening and writing sections. For example, the date of 15th April in the writing test is considered two words. But in the listening test, you have to consider it a word.
2. Numbers and hours
If written as 1000, 12:30, or 10, the number and hours in the writing test are calculated as one word. But if you write these numbers in letters like one thousand, it counts as two words.
In the listening test, both types are counted as one word.
3. Prepositions
All prepositions and conjunctions such as or, on are counted as one word. Even if these words are repeated several times in one sentence, you should still consider them independent words.
4. Hyphen words
Words that have hyphens and are written, for example, in English-speaking countries, are counted as one word.
5. Compound words
Composite words must be calculated in two ways. Sometimes compound words are stuck together and give meaning, like a bedroom. In that case, you should consider them a word. But sometimes compound words are separate but mean the same thing together as a Christmas tree. You have to count these as two words.
Conclusion
As you read, word counting follows a specific rule. If words are written separately and independently, they should be considered a word, even if they are compound. But if the words are stuck together, you should consider them a whole word.