<p>One problem with precision in this context is that it may depend on your definition of “word.” (That whole Bill Clinton think is indelibly etched in my mind.)</p>
<p>For example, do you count “a” and “to” the same way you count “antidisestablishmentarianism?” I think so, but that doesn’t seem exactly right. </p>
<p>I always thought that an alternative would be to count characters and then divide by the average word length (if there is such a thing).</p>