Master PHP’s str_word_count: Count Words, Get Arrays, and Customize Ignored Characters

In PHP, the str_word_count() function counts the number of words in a string. This article explains its usage and provides code examples.

Function Syntax

str_word_count(string $string [, int $format = 0 [, string $charlist]])

Parameter Description

$string

: required, the string to be examined. $format: optional, determines the return format; 0 (default) returns the word count, 1 returns an array of words, 2 returns an associative array of positions => words. $charlist: optional, a list of characters to ignore when counting words; defaults to whitespace, tabs, newlines, etc.

Usage Examples

Below are several code snippets illustrating how to use str_word_count().

Example 1: Count words in a string

$string = "Hello, how are you today?";
$wordCount = str_word_count($string);
echo "Word count: " . $wordCount;

Output: Word count: 5

Example 2: Return each word as an array

$string = "Hello, how are you today?";
$wordsArray = str_word_count($string, 1);
echo "Word list: ";
foreach ($wordsArray as $word) {
    echo $word . " ";
}

Output: Word list: Hello how are you today

Example 3: Return positions and words

$string = "Hello, how are you today?";
$wordsArray = str_word_count($string, 2);
foreach ($wordsArray as $position => $word) {
    echo "Position" . $position . ":" . $word . " ";
}

Output: Word list: Position0:Hello Position6:how Position10:are Position14:you Position18:today

Example 4: Custom ignore character list

$string = "Hello, how are you today?";
$wordCount = str_word_count($string, 0, "o");
echo "Word count: " . $wordCount;

Output: Word count: 3

Example 5: Use regular expression to match words

$string = "Hello, how are you today?";
preg_match_all('/\w+/', $string, $matches);
echo "Word list: ";
foreach ($matches[0] as $word) {
    echo $word . " ";
}

Output: Word list: Hello how are you today

The str_word_count() function is a simple yet powerful tool for word counting and extraction in PHP, offering flexible return formats and customizable ignored characters, making it valuable for various string‑processing tasks.