diff --git a/benchmark/word_size.cpp b/benchmark/word_size.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d054efcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmark/word_size.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+// Copyright 2021, 2022 Peter Dimov.
+// Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0.
+// https://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt
+
+#define _SILENCE_CXX17_OLD_ALLOCATOR_MEMBERS_DEPRECATION_WARNING
+
+#include <boost/unordered_map.hpp>
+#include <boost/unordered/unordered_flat_map.hpp>
+#include <boost/regex.hpp>
+#ifdef HAVE_ABSEIL
+# include "absl/container/node_hash_map.h"
+# include "absl/container/flat_hash_map.h"
+#endif
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <vector>
+#include <memory>
+#include <cstdint>
+#include <iostream>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <chrono>
+#include <fstream>
+
+using namespace std::chrono_literals;
+
+static void print_time( std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point & t1, char const* label, std::size_t s, std::size_t size )
+{
+    auto t2 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+
+    std::cout << label << ": " << ( t2 - t1 ) / 1ms << " ms (s=" << s << ", size=" << size << ")\n";
+
+    t1 = t2;
+}
+
+static std::vector<std::string> words;
+
+static void init_words()
+{
+    char const* fn = "enwik9"; // http://mattmahoney.net/dc/textdata
+
+    auto t1 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+
+    std::ifstream is( fn );
+    std::string in( std::istreambuf_iterator<char>( is ), std::istreambuf_iterator<char>{} );
+
+    boost::regex re( "[a-zA-Z]+");
+    boost::sregex_token_iterator it( in.begin(), in.end(), re, 0 ), end;
+
+    words.assign( it, end );
+
+    auto t2 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+
+    std::cout << fn << ": " << words.size() << " words, " << ( t2 - t1 ) / 1ms << " ms\n\n";
+}
+
+template<class Map> BOOST_NOINLINE void test_word_size( Map& map, std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point & t1 )
+{
+    for( auto const& word: words )
+    {
+        ++map[ word.size() ];
+    }
+
+    print_time( t1, "Word size count",  0, map.size() );
+
+    std::cout << std::endl;
+}
+
+// counting allocator
+
+static std::size_t s_alloc_bytes = 0;
+static std::size_t s_alloc_count = 0;
+
+template<class T> struct allocator
+{
+    using value_type = T;
+
+    allocator() = default;
+
+    template<class U> allocator( allocator<U> const & ) noexcept
+    {
+    }
+
+    template<class U> bool operator==( allocator<U> const & ) const noexcept
+    {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    template<class U> bool operator!=( allocator<U> const& ) const noexcept
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    T* allocate( std::size_t n ) const
+    {
+        s_alloc_bytes += n * sizeof(T);
+        s_alloc_count++;
+
+        return std::allocator<T>().allocate( n );
+    }
+
+    void deallocate( T* p, std::size_t n ) const noexcept
+    {
+        s_alloc_bytes -= n * sizeof(T);
+        s_alloc_count--;
+
+        std::allocator<T>().deallocate( p, n );
+    }
+};
+
+//
+
+struct record
+{
+    std::string label_;
+    long long time_;
+    std::size_t bytes_;
+    std::size_t count_;
+};
+
+static std::vector<record> times;
+
+template<template<class...> class Map> BOOST_NOINLINE void test( char const* label )
+{
+    std::cout << label << ":\n\n";
+
+    s_alloc_bytes = 0;
+    s_alloc_count = 0;
+
+    Map<std::size_t, std::size_t> map;
+
+    auto t0 = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+    auto t1 = t0;
+
+    test_word_size( map, t1 );
+
+    std::cout << "Memory: " << s_alloc_bytes << " bytes in " << s_alloc_count << " allocations\n\n";
+
+    record rec = { label, 0, s_alloc_bytes, s_alloc_count };
+
+    auto tN = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+    std::cout << "Total: " << ( tN - t0 ) / 1ms << " ms\n\n";
+
+    rec.time_ = ( tN - t0 ) / 1ms;
+    times.push_back( rec );
+}
+
+// aliases using the counting allocator
+
+template<class K, class V> using allocator_for = ::allocator< std::pair<K const, V> >;
+
+template<class K, class V> using std_unordered_map =
+    std::unordered_map<K, V, std::hash<K>, std::equal_to<K>, allocator_for<K, V>>;
+
+template<class K, class V> using boost_unordered_map =
+    boost::unordered_map<K, V, boost::hash<K>, std::equal_to<K>, allocator_for<K, V>>;
+
+template<class K, class V> using boost_unordered_flat_map =
+    boost::unordered_flat_map<K, V, boost::hash<K>, std::equal_to<K>, allocator_for<K, V>>;
+
+#ifdef HAVE_ABSEIL
+
+template<class K, class V> using absl_node_hash_map =
+    absl::node_hash_map<K, V, absl::container_internal::hash_default_hash<K>, absl::container_internal::hash_default_eq<K>, allocator_for<K, V>>;
+
+template<class K, class V> using absl_flat_hash_map =
+    absl::flat_hash_map<K, V, absl::container_internal::hash_default_hash<K>, absl::container_internal::hash_default_eq<K>, allocator_for<K, V>>;
+
+#endif
+
+int main()
+{
+    init_words();
+
+    test<std_unordered_map>( "std::unordered_map" );
+    test<boost_unordered_map>( "boost::unordered_map" );
+    test<boost_unordered_flat_map>( "boost::unordered_flat_map" );
+
+#ifdef HAVE_ABSEIL
+
+    test<absl_node_hash_map>( "absl::node_hash_map" );
+    test<absl_flat_hash_map>( "absl::flat_hash_map" );
+
+#endif
+
+    std::cout << "---\n\n";
+
+    for( auto const& x: times )
+    {
+        std::cout << std::setw( 27 ) << ( x.label_ + ": " ) << std::setw( 5 ) << x.time_ << " ms, " << std::setw( 9 ) << x.bytes_ << " bytes in " << x.count_ << " allocations\n";
+    }
+}
+
+#ifdef HAVE_ABSEIL
+# include "absl/container/internal/raw_hash_set.cc"
+# include "absl/hash/internal/hash.cc"
+# include "absl/hash/internal/low_level_hash.cc"
+# include "absl/hash/internal/city.cc"
+#endif