diff --git a/src/components/StatusBar.vue b/src/components/StatusBar.vue
index 4a2ded9a..da139df2 100644
--- a/src/components/StatusBar.vue
+++ b/src/components/StatusBar.vue
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
                 "currentCursorLine",
                 "currentLanguage", 
                 "currentSelectionSize", 
+                "currentSelectionWordCount",
                 "currentLanguage",
                 "currentLanguageAuto",
                 "currentCreatedTime",
@@ -109,6 +110,9 @@
             Col <span class="num">{{ currentCursorLine?.col }}</span>
             <template v-if="currentSelectionSize > 0">
                 Sel <span class="num">{{ currentSelectionSize }}</span>
+                <template v-if="currentSelectionWordCount != null">
+                    | Words <span class="num">{{ currentSelectionWordCount }}</span>
+                </template>
             </template>
         </div>
         <div 
diff --git a/src/editor/block/block.js b/src/editor/block/block.js
index 90c4e3d9..cd207b7f 100644
--- a/src/editor/block/block.js
+++ b/src/editor/block/block.js
@@ -310,6 +310,12 @@ function getSelectionSize(state, sel) {
     return count
 }
 
+function getSelectionWordCount(state, sel) {
+    if (sel.from === sel.to) return 0
+    const text = state.sliceDoc(sel.from, sel.to)
+    return (text.trim().split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean).length)
+}
+
 export function triggerCursorChange({state, dispatch}) {
     // Trigger empty change transaction that is annotated with CURRENCIES_LOADED
     // This will make Math blocks re-render so that currency conversions are applied
@@ -334,10 +340,15 @@ const emitCursorChange = (editor) => {
                         (sel) => getSelectionSize(update.state, sel)
                     ).reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0)
 
+                    const selectionWordCount = update.state.selection.ranges.map(
+                        (sel) => getSelectionWordCount(update.state, sel)
+                    ).reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0)
+
                     const block = getActiveNoteBlock(update.state)
                     if (block && cursorLine) {
                         heynoteStore.currentCursorLine = cursorLine
                         heynoteStore.currentSelectionSize = selectionSize
+                        heynoteStore.currentSelectionWordCount = selectionWordCount
                         heynoteStore.currentLanguage = block.language.name
                         heynoteStore.currentLanguageAuto = block.language.auto
                         heynoteStore.currentBufferName = editor.name
diff --git a/src/stores/heynote-store.js b/src/stores/heynote-store.js
index 7ebe9332..e48fb56b 100644
--- a/src/stores/heynote-store.js
+++ b/src/stores/heynote-store.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export const useHeynoteStore = defineStore("heynote", {
         currentLanguageAuto: null,
         currentCursorLine: null,
         currentSelectionSize: null,
+        currentSelectionWordCount: null,
         currentCreatedTime: null,
         libraryId: 0,
         createBufferParams: {
diff --git a/tests/playwright/markdown.spec.js b/tests/playwright/markdown.spec.js
index 3617fa74..79a50496 100644
--- a/tests/playwright/markdown.spec.js
+++ b/tests/playwright/markdown.spec.js
@@ -21,6 +21,56 @@ test("test markdown mode", async ({ page }) => {
     await expect(page.locator("css=.status .status-block.lang")).toHaveText("Markdown")
 })
 
+test("selection word count is shown in status bar", async ({ page }) => {
+    await heynotePage.setContent(`
+∞∞∞text
+Hello world test
+`)
+    await page.waitForTimeout(200)
+
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+        const view = window._heynote_editor.view
+        const text = view.state.doc.toString()
+        const start = text.indexOf("Hello")
+        const end = text.indexOf("test") + "test".length
+        view.dispatch({
+            selection: { anchor: start, head: end },
+            scrollIntoView: true,
+        })
+    })
+
+    await page.waitForTimeout(100)
+    await expect(page.locator("css=.status .status-block.line-number")).toContainText("Words 3")
+})
+
+test("fenced Markdown code blocks are syntax highlighted by language", async ({ page }) => {
+    await heynotePage.setContent(`
+∞∞∞markdown
+\`\`\`js
+class StrictModel {
+  static fields = new Set();
+}
+\`\`\`
+\`\`\`py
+def strict_function():
+    return 1
+\`\`\`
+`)
+    await page.waitForTimeout(300)
+
+    const classToken = await page.locator("css=.cm-content span:has-text('class')").first().evaluate(el => el.className)
+    const strictModelToken = await page.locator("css=.cm-content span:has-text('StrictModel')").first().evaluate(el => el.className)
+    const defToken = await page.locator("css=.cm-content span:has-text('def')").first().evaluate(el => el.className)
+
+    expect(classToken).not.toBe("")
+    expect(strictModelToken).not.toBe("")
+    expect(defToken).not.toBe("")
+
+    // keyword-like tokens in JS and Python should have same style class and differ from identifiers.
+    expect(classToken).toBe(defToken)
+    expect(classToken).not.toBe(strictModelToken)
+})
+
 test("checkbox toggle", async ({ page }) => {
     await heynotePage.setContent(`
 ∞∞∞markdown