diff --git a/src/extractors/generic/index.js b/src/extractors/generic/index.js
index 7848992b..8eb5f65c 100644
--- a/src/extractors/generic/index.js
+++ b/src/extractors/generic/index.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import GenericLeadImageUrlExtractor from './lead-image-url/extractor';
 import GenericNextPageUrlExtractor from './next-page-url/extractor';
 import GenericUrlExtractor from './url/extractor';
 import GenericExcerptExtractor from './excerpt/extractor';
+import GenericWordCountExtractor from './word-count/extractor';
 
 const GenericExtractor = {
   // This extractor is the default for all domains
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ const GenericExtractor = {
   nextPageUrl: GenericNextPageUrlExtractor.extract,
   urlAndDomain: GenericUrlExtractor.extract,
   excerpt: GenericExcerptExtractor.extract,
+  wordCount: GenericWordCountExtractor.extract,
 
   extract(options) {
     const { html } = options;
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ const GenericExtractor = {
     const dek = this.dek({ ...options, content });
     const nextPageUrl = this.nextPageUrl(options);
     const excerpt = this.excerpt({ ...options, content });
+    const wordCount = this.excerpt({ ...options, content });
     const { url, domain } = this.urlAndDomain(options);
 
     return {
@@ -52,6 +55,7 @@ const GenericExtractor = {
       url,
       domain,
       excerpt,
+      wordCount,
     };
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/extractors/generic/word-count/extractor.js b/src/extractors/generic/word-count/extractor.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..467ae6cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/extractors/generic/word-count/extractor.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import cheerio from 'cheerio'
+
+import { normalizeSpaces } from 'utils/text'
+
+const GenericWordCountExtractor = {
+  extract({ content }) {
+    const $ = cheerio.load(content)
+
+    const text = normalizeSpaces($('div').first().text())
+    return text.split(/\s/).length
+  },
+}
+
+export default GenericWordCountExtractor
diff --git a/src/extractors/generic/word-count/extractor.test.js b/src/extractors/generic/word-count/extractor.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..22c415c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/extractors/generic/word-count/extractor.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import assert from 'assert'
+
+import GenericWordCountExtractor from './extractor'
+
+describe('GenericWordCountExtractor', () => {
+  describe('extact({ content })', () => {
+    it('counts words', () => {
+      const content = `
+        <div>
+          <p>One two three.</p>
+          <p>Four five six.</p>
+          <p>Seven eight nine.</p>
+          <p>Ten eleven twelve.</p>
+      `
+
+      const wordCount = GenericWordCountExtractor.extract({ content })
+
+      assert.equal(wordCount, 12)
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/extractors/root-extractor.js b/src/extractors/root-extractor.js
index 18d8a98a..08a9dbaf 100644
--- a/src/extractors/root-extractor.js
+++ b/src/extractors/root-extractor.js
@@ -129,7 +129,9 @@ const RootExtractor = {
     const leadImageUrl = extractResult({ ...opts, type: 'leadImageUrl', content });
     const dek = extractResult({ ...opts, type: 'dek', content });
     const excerpt = extractResult({ ...opts, type: 'excerpt', content });
+    const wordCount = extractResult({ ...opts, type: 'wordCount', content });
     const { url, domain } = extractResult({ ...opts, type: 'urlAndDomain' });
+
     return {
       title,
       content,
@@ -141,6 +143,7 @@ const RootExtractor = {
       url,
       domain,
       excerpt,
+      wordCount,
     };
   },
 };
diff --git a/src/extractors/root-extractor.test.js b/src/extractors/root-extractor.test.js
index 76b1199a..649630e1 100644
--- a/src/extractors/root-extractor.test.js
+++ b/src/extractors/root-extractor.test.js
@@ -21,12 +21,14 @@ describe('RootExtractor', () => {
     const {
       url,
       title,
+      wordCount,
     } = RootExtractor.extract(
       NYMagExtractor, { url: fullUrl, html, $, metaCache: [] }
     );
 
     assert.equal(title, 'Trump Claims He Discussed $25K Donation With Florida Attorney General, But Not Trump University Investigation');
     assert.equal(url, fullUrl);
+    assert.equal(wordCount, 727);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/utils/dom/fixtures/html.js b/src/utils/dom/fixtures/html.js
index 97dc6148..a8ab7971 100644
--- a/src/utils/dom/fixtures/html.js
+++ b/src/utils/dom/fixtures/html.js
@@ -511,6 +511,9 @@ const HTML = {
           <li><a href="#">Lose this one</a></li>
           <li><a href="#">Lose this one</a></li>
           <li><a href="#">Lose this one</a></li>
+          <li><a href="#">Lose this one</a></li>
+          <li><a href="#">Lose this one</a></li>
+          <li><a href="#">Lose this one</a></li>
         </ul>
       </div>
     `,
diff --git a/src/utils/text/normalize-spaces.js b/src/utils/text/normalize-spaces.js
index 130d9bd5..f0c42b66 100644
--- a/src/utils/text/normalize-spaces.js
+++ b/src/utils/text/normalize-spaces.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const NORMALIZE_RE = /\s{2,}/;
+const NORMALIZE_RE = /\s{2,}/g;
 
 export default function normalizeSpaces(text) {
   return text.replace(NORMALIZE_RE, ' ').trim();