Type a word, a line of lyrics or a whole poem to count its syllables instantly. Every word gets its own count, every line gets a total, and the 5-7-5 haiku check tells you which line needs work.
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Readability
Counts use English pronunciation rules and a list of irregular words. A few words have more than one accepted pronunciation, so say unusual ones aloud.
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How to use the Syllable Counter
Type or paste your text into the box. A single word works too.
Read the totals: syllables, words, lines and average syllables per word update as you type.
Check each line in the breakdown: the small number on each word is its syllable count.
Writing a haiku? Keep three lines and the haiku check marks each line against 5, 7 and 5 syllables.
Copy or download the breakdown to share it or keep it with your draft.
How syllables are counted
A syllable is one beat of sound with a single vowel sound at its centre. Cat has one, wa-ter has two and beau-ti-ful has three. Because English spelling does not match pronunciation exactly, the counter starts from the groups of vowels in a word (a, e, i, o, u and y) and then applies the rules a reader uses without thinking:
Silent e: a final e after a consonant is usually silent (make, time = 1), but -le after a consonant is its own syllable (ta-ble, lit-tle).
-ed endings: silent after most sounds (jumped, played = 1) but a full syllable after t or d (want-ed, need-ed).
-es endings: a syllable after s, x, z, ch, sh and soft c or g (box-es, pag-es), silent otherwise (cakes).
Vowel pairs: most pairs make one sound (rain, boat), but some split into two (li-on, po-em, i-de-a), while -tion and -sion are one syllable.
Prefixes, suffixes and compounds: parts such as re-, un-, -ful, -ness and -ology, and compounds like fire-place, are counted part by part.
Exceptions: a built-in list covers irregular words such as people, recipe, colonel, business and Wednesday.
Syllable examples
Syllables
Example words
1
cat, moon, through, jumped, cakes, fire, hour
2
water, table, wanted, boxes, poem, every, people
3
beautiful, banana, animal, recipe, family, idea
4
education, biology, dictionary, television, February
5
university, refrigerator, imagination, international
6
responsibility
Writing a 5-7-5 haiku
An English haiku is three short lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables. Traditional haiku focus on a single moment in nature and often contain a seasonal word and a pause or "cut" between two images. If a line is one syllable short, try a longer synonym (quiet for still); if it is one too long, drop an article such as the or a, or swap a word for a shorter one. Song writers use the same trick to fit lyrics to a melody: lines that are sung to the same tune usually need the same number of syllables.
Frequently asked questions
How do you count syllables in a word?
A syllable is a unit of sound built around one vowel sound. Say the word slowly and count the vowel sounds: wa-ter has 2, beau-ti-ful has 3. A quick check is to put your hand under your chin: your jaw drops once for each syllable.
How accurate is this syllable counter?
It uses English spelling rules for silent e, -ed and -es endings, vowel pairs, common prefixes and suffixes, plus a list of irregular words. It gets the large majority of everyday words right, but English has exceptions and some words have more than one accepted pronunciation (fire, every, poem), so check unusual words by saying them aloud.
What is the 5-7-5 rule for haiku?
A traditional English haiku has three lines with 5, 7 and 5 syllables, 17 in total. The form comes from Japanese poetry, which counts sound units called on rather than syllables, so many modern poets treat 5-7-5 as a guide rather than a strict rule.
How many syllables does the word 'every' have?
Most dictionaries list every as 2 syllables (ev-ry) in everyday speech, with 3 (ev-er-y) as a careful pronunciation. This tool counts it as 2. Words like fire, hour and our are counted as 1.
How are numbers counted?
Numbers are counted the way they are usually read aloud. For example 7 is one syllable (seven has 2), 2024 is read as twenty twenty-four (5 syllables) and 150 as one hundred fifty (5 syllables).
What is the Flesch Reading Ease score?
It is a readability formula based on sentence length and syllables per word: 206.835 - 1.015 x (words / sentences) - 84.6 x (syllables / words). Higher scores are easier to read; 60 to 70 is plain English. The Flesch-Kincaid grade is 0.39 x (words / sentences) + 11.8 x (syllables / words) - 15.59.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is counted by JavaScript in your browser, so your poems and lyrics stay on your device.