How to Count Words in a PDF Using Command Line Tools

Learn to count words in a PDF via command line using pdftotext and wc for accurate results.

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To count words in a PDF from the command line, you can use tools like `pdftotext` and `wc`. First, convert the PDF to text: `pdftotext file.pdf -`. Then, pipe the output to `wc -w` to get the word count: `pdftotext file.pdf - | wc -w`. This straightforward method provides an accurate word count.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is the pdftotext command? The pdftotext command is a utility to convert PDF files into plain text, which can then be processed further.
  2. Can I count words in a PDF on Windows? Yes, you can use tools like pdftotext with Windows Subsystem for Linux or similar utilities available for Windows.
  3. Is the word count from command line accurate? Yes, by converting the PDF to text and using wc, you achieve an accurate word count.
  4. Are there any GUI tools to count words in a PDF? Yes, several GUI applications can count words in PDFs, but using command line tools is often faster and more versatile.