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Syllable Counter

Count syllables in any word, sentence, or poem instantly. See a total syllable count, a per-word breakdown, and per-line totals - perfect for writing haiku, poetry, or checking rhythm and meter.

Category: text
Use Case: Writing Haiku & Poetry, Checking Meter and Rhythm, Reading Level Estimation
Privacy: 100% browser-based

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Total Syllables

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Total Words

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Avg / Word

Recommended Settings

Pro Tips

  • Syllable counts are estimated using standard English vowel-group rules, not a dictionary lookup, so unusual words may be off by one
  • Writing a haiku? Put each line on its own line in the box to see the 5-7-5 (or any pattern) breakdown instantly
  • The word breakdown is sorted in the order words appear, making it easy to spot which word is throwing off your line count
  • Short words of 3 letters or fewer are always counted as 1 syllable

Most Popular

Most people paste a full poem or line to check syllables per line for haiku or verse

When to Use This Tool

Writing Haiku & Poetry

Check that each line matches the syllable pattern you're writing to, like 5-7-5 for haiku.

Checking Meter and Rhythm

Count syllables across a line of song lyrics or verse to check rhythm and pacing.

Reading Level Estimation

Syllables per word is a common input for readability formulas like Flesch-Kincaid.

Learning English Pronunciation

Break unfamiliar words down into syllable counts as a pronunciation aid.

How It Works

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Your text is split into individual words

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Each word is checked against common English syllable rules - counting vowel groups while adjusting for silent endings like a trailing 'e'

3

Syllables are totaled across the whole text, and also broken down per line if you enter multiple lines

100% Private

Files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser.

Lightning Fast

Powered by Client-side vowel-group heuristic algorithm for optimal performance on modern browsers.

Open Source

Built with verified, open-source libraries. Fully transparent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate is the syllable count?

It uses a widely-used English heuristic based on vowel groups and common spelling patterns, which is accurate for the vast majority of words. It isn't a full dictionary lookup, so unusual words, names, or abbreviations can occasionally be off by one syllable.

Can I use this to write a haiku?

Yes - type each line of your poem on its own line and the tool will show the syllable count for every line separately, so you can check a 5-7-5 pattern or any other structure at a glance.

Does punctuation affect the count?

No, punctuation is ignored - only letters are used to determine syllables, so commas, periods, and other marks don't affect the result.

Does this work for languages other than English?

The syllable rules are built specifically for English spelling patterns, so results for other languages may not be accurate.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. All counting happens locally in your browser - nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.