How to count syllables
- Type a word to see its syllable count at once, or paste a sentence, paragraph or poem.
- Choose Per word to see every distinct word with its syllables and how often you used it, plus a chart of how many words have 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5+ syllables.
- Choose Per line to count the syllables in each line, which is ideal for haiku, limericks, song lyrics and rap verses.
How syllables are counted
A syllable is a beat of sound built around one vowel sound. Clap as you say a word and each clap is one syllable: un-der-stand has three.
These rules cover most English words:
- Count the vowel sounds, not the vowels. “Boat” has two vowels but one sound, so one syllable.
- A silent e at the end doesn’t count. “Make” and “hope” have one syllable each.
- -ed adds a syllable only after t or d. “Wanted” has two syllables, but “jumped” has one.
- Y can be a vowel. “Happy” (hap-py) and “gym” both use y as their vowel.
- -le after a consonant is its own syllable. “Ta-ble”, “lit-tle”.
Syllables in poems
| Form | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Haiku | 3 lines: 5, 7, 5 syllables |
| Tanka | 5 lines: 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 syllables |
| Cinquain | 5 lines: 2, 4, 6, 8, 2 syllables |
| Limerick | 5 lines, roughly 8, 8, 5, 5, 8 syllables |
| Iambic pentameter | 10 syllables per line |
Syllables and readability
Long words are one of the two things almost every readability formula measures. Sentence length is the other. Flesch-Kincaid uses the average syllables per word, and SMOG and Gunning Fog count words of three or more syllables. If your text averages more than about 1.6 syllables per word, swapping a few long words for short ones will lower its grade level. Check the full picture with the readability checker.