diff --git a/fixit/cli.py b/fixit/cli.py
index b5ecd6d..bcd7f07 100644
--- a/fixit/cli.py
+++ b/fixit/cli.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import argparse
 import sys
 import uuid
+from pathlib import Path
 
 from fixit import __version__, convert, jsonfmt, password, textutils, wordcount
 
@@ -18,13 +19,16 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
     parser.add_argument("--version", action="version", version=f"fixit {__version__}")
     sub = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command", required=True)
 
+    
     wc = sub.add_parser("wc", help="count words, lines and characters")
-    wc.add_argument("text")
+    wc.add_argument("text", nargs="?")
+    wc.add_argument("--file", type=Path, help="read text from a file")
 
     cv = sub.add_parser("convert", help="convert units")
     cv.add_argument("value", type=float)
     cv.add_argument("kind", choices=sorted(CONVERSIONS))
 
+
     pw = sub.add_parser("password", help="generate a password")
     pw.add_argument("--length", type=int, default=12)
     pw.add_argument("--symbols", action="store_true")
@@ -46,10 +50,26 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
 def main(argv=None) -> int:
     try:
         args = build_parser().parse_args(argv)
+        
         if args.command == "wc":
-            print(f"words={wordcount.count_words(args.text)} "
-                f"lines={wordcount.count_lines(args.text)} "
-                f"chars={wordcount.count_chars(args.text)}")
+            if args.file is not None:
+                try:
+                    text = args.file.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+                except OSError:
+                    print(f"Error: cannot read file '{args.file}'", file=sys.stderr)
+                    return 1
+            elif args.text is not None:
+                text = args.text
+            else:
+                print("Error: provide text or use --file", file=sys.stderr)
+                return 1
+
+            print(
+                f"words={wordcount.count_words(text)} "
+                f"lines={wordcount.count_lines(text)} "
+                f"chars={wordcount.count_chars(text)}"
+            )
+
         elif args.command == "convert":
             print(CONVERSIONS[args.kind](args.value))
         elif args.command == "password":
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 62b729e..d60cd3e 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -12,3 +12,20 @@ def test_version(capsys):
 def test_palindrome_command(capsys):
     main(["palindrome", "level"])
     assert capsys.readouterr().out.strip() == "True"
+
+
+def test_wc_file_option(tmp_path, capsys):
+    file_path = tmp_path / "sample.txt"
+    file_path.write_text("hello world\nhow are you", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    result = main(["wc", "--file", str(file_path)])
+
+    assert result == 0
+    assert capsys.readouterr().out.strip() == "words=5 lines=2 chars=23"
+
+
+def test_wc_file_not_found(capsys):
+    result = main(["wc", "--file", "missing_file.txt"])
+
+    assert result == 1
+    assert "missing_file.txt" in capsys.readouterr().err