Syllable Counter

A syllable is a unit of sound built around one vowel sound: “cat” has 1, “ta-ble” has 2 and “beau-ti-ful” has 3. Paste a word, a poem or a paragraph to count syllables per line, check a 5-7-5 haiku, and see how easy the text is to read.

How to use the syllable counter

1. Type a word, paste a poem, or paste a paragraph. Keep line breaks for poems.
2. The counts update as you type: syllables per line, per word and in total.
3. For three-line poems the tool checks the 5-7-5 haiku pattern. For 30 or more words it also gives the Flesch reading ease and grade level.

How syllables are counted

Each syllable has one vowel sound. A good rule of thumb is to count the vowel groups (a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y), then adjust:

• A silent e at the end does not count: “make” has 1 syllable.
• A consonant + “le” at the end adds one: “ta-ble”, “lit-tle”.
• “-ed” is usually silent unless it follows t or d: “jumped” has 1, “wanted” has 2.
• Two vowels together usually make one sound: “rain”, “boat”.

English has many exceptions, so the counter combines these rules with a list of tricky words. Counts for rare words or names can be off by one; clapping the word out loud is the best check.

Syllables and reading level

Readability formulas use syllables because longer words tend to be harder words. The Flesch reading ease is 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words); higher scores are easier, and 60 to 70 is plain English. The Flesch–Kincaid grade level is 0.39 × (words ÷ sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words) − 15.59, roughly the U.S. school grade needed to read the text.

Syllable practice questions

Test yourself with 6 multiple-choice questions. Choose an answer and press Submit to see if you are right and why. Your score appears at the end.

Frequently asked questions

How do you count syllables in a word?

Say the word slowly and count the vowel sounds, or clap once for each beat. “Multiplication” is mul-ti-pli-ca-tion: 5 syllables.

Is the syllable counter always right?

It is right for most common words, but English spelling has many exceptions, and some words are said differently in different accents. Check unusual words by saying them aloud.

Does y count as a vowel?

Sometimes. In “gym” and “happy” y makes a vowel sound and forms a syllable; at the start of a word, as in “yes”, it acts as a consonant.

Why do readability scores need 30 words?

With very little text, one long word or short sentence changes the score a lot, so the tool waits for at least 30 words before showing it.

Sources

• Flesch, R. (1948). A new readability yardstick. Journal of Applied Psychology
• Kincaid et al. (1975). Derivation of new readability formulas for Navy enlisted personnel

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