Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Python Python Collections (Retired) Dictionaries Word Count

T.j. Twilley
T.j. Twilley
2,317 Points
Posted by T.j. Twilley
T.j. Twilley
2,317 Points

Need help with word count

Can someone explain to me what I am doing wrong with this problem? It looks like i'm on the right track. But it keeps asking where is the word_count.

word_count.py 
# E.g. word_count("I am that I am") gets back a dictionary like:
# {'i': 2, 'am': 2, 'that': 1}
# Lowercase the string to make it easier.
# Using .split() on the sentence will give you a list of words.
# In a for loop of that list, you'll have a word that you can
# check for inclusion in the dict (with "if word in dict"-style syntax).
# Or add it to the dict with something like word_dict[word] = 1.
def word_count(my_string):
  my_string = my_string.lower()
  my_list   = my_string.split()
  my_dict   = {}
  if words in my_list:
    if words not in my_dict:
      my_dict[words] = 1
    else:
      my_dict[words] += 1
  return  my_dict

1 Answer

Hanley Chan
Hanley Chan
27,771 Points
Hanley Chan
Hanley Chan
27,771 Points

Hi,

Looks like you mistyped 'if' instead of 'for' here on the first line:

if words in my_list:
    if words not in my_dict:
      my_dict[words] = 1
    else:
      my_dict[words] += 1