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Do Footnotes Count in Word Count?

Whether footnotes count depends on your discipline, your university, and whether the footnotes hold citations or actual argument — here's how to figure out which rule applies to you.

Quick answer: Footnotes that hold only citations usually don't count. Footnotes that carry real discussion or argument often do — especially in law, history, and the humanities. Check your assignment brief before you assume either way.

🗒️ Why the rules differ by field

Different disciplines use footnotes for completely different jobs, which is why the word-count rules don't line up:

  • Humanities (history, philosophy, literature): Footnotes often carry real commentary and argument, so they're usually counted.
  • Law (OSCOLA, Chicago): Footnotes do a lot of the work in legal writing. Many law schools count them — or at least the ones containing argument — toward the limit.
  • Sciences and social sciences (APA, Vancouver): Footnotes are rare here and usually excluded. In-text citations do the citing instead.
  • Research papers: It comes down to the publisher or institution. Citation footnotes are usually excluded; explanatory ones vary.

📋 Citation vs substantive footnotes

Most universities draw a line between two kinds of footnotes:

  • Citation footnotes: Just point to a source (e.g., "Smith, J. (2022) Legal Theory, p. 45."). These are usually excluded.
  • Substantive footnotes: Add argument, analysis, or discussion. These are often included, because they're part of what you're actually arguing.

If a footnote does both — a citation plus a line of commentary — check whether your department has a rule for mixed footnotes. Some count the whole thing; some count only the discussion.

⚖️ Law essays play by their own rules

Law assignments — OSCOLA-style essays and moots especially — pack both citations and substantive argument into footnotes. That's exactly why many UK law schools count footnotes toward the limit: it stops people from parking half their argument in the notes to dodge the word count.

So if you're writing a law essay, don't assume footnotes are free. Check your faculty's word count policy first.

🎛️ Count it both ways in seconds

CountMyPaper lets you decide whether footnotes count. Upload or paste your document, then toggle the Footnotes / Endnotes section on or off. You'll see exactly how many words your footnotes add — and whether that tips you over or under your limit.

Run it both ways, then report whichever figure your department's rules call for.

Count my paper with or without footnotes

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