---
name: "wc"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "coreutils"
version: "9.12-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wc"
---

# wc(1)

word, line, and byte or character count

## NAME

wc - word, line, and byte or character count

## SYNOPSIS

**wc** \[*OPTION*\]... \[*FILE*\]...\
 **wc** \[*OPTION*\]... *--files0-from=F*

## DESCRIPTION

Print newline, word, and byte counts for each FILE, and a total line if more than one FILE is specified.  A word is a nonempty sequence of non white space delimited by white space characters or by start or end of input.

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

The options below may be used to select which counts are printed, always in the following order: newline, word, character, byte, maximum line length.

- **-c, --bytes**

  print the byte counts

- **-m, --chars**

  print the character counts

- **-l, --lines**

  print the newline counts

- **--debug**

  indicate what line count acceleration is used

- **--files0-from=F**

  read input from the files specified by NUL-terminated names in file F; If F is -, read names from standard input

- **-L, --max-line-length**

  print the maximum display width

- **-w, --words**

  print the word counts

- **--total=WHEN**

  when to print a line with total counts; WHEN can be: auto, always, only, never

- **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **--version**

  output version information and exit

## AUTHOR

Written by Paul Rubin and David MacKenzie.

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: \<bug-coreutils@gnu.org\>.\
 Report any translation bugs to: \<https://translationproject.org/team/\>.\
 GNU coreutils home page: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/\>\
 General help using GNU software: \<https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>.\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

Full documentation \<https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/wc\>\
 or available locally via: info '(coreutils) wc invocation'