How to use it
- Paste the English text into Text. The counts update as you type.
- Read Syllables for the total and Syllables per word for the average.
- Open Words by syllable count to see how many words have one, two, three syllables and so on, with examples.
- Open Each word to check the count of each word. A word marked Estimate is not in the dictionary.
How syllables are counted
A syllable is counted for each vowel sound in a word's pronunciation. The CMU Pronouncing Dictionary gives the American English pronunciation of 124,101 words, and each vowel in it is one syllable: tomatoes is T AH0 M EY1 T OW0 Z, with three vowels, so three syllables.
- A word with more than one pronunciation is counted by its first one.
- A word is a run of English letters. An apostrophe inside it keeps it one word, as in don't. Numbers and punctuation are not counted.
- The words by syllable count are the words with one syllable, with two, with three, and so on, and the total of each count is the number of words in the text.
Words the dictionary does not list
A word missing from the dictionary, such as a new word or a name, gets an estimate from its spelling. The rule drops a silent final e, and counts each group of one or two vowels as one syllable, with y counted as a vowel. It is written for this tool and is not a dictionary, so it is off by one for some words, and those words are marked Estimate.
What the count does not measure
- Syllables are a count of spoken vowel sounds, not of where a word is divided at the end of a line, so the two can differ.
- Length is not difficulty: a long word can have few syllables, and a short one can have several.
- The count is for English. Other languages have their own syllable rules, and this tool does not apply them.
Worked example: Hello world. I like tomatoes.
The sentence has five words. The dictionary gives hello two vowel sounds (HH AH0 L OW1), world one (W ER1 L D), I one (AY1), like one (L AY1 K) and tomatoes three. The total is 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 3 = 8 syllables, and 8 ÷ 5 = 1.6 syllables per word. No word is estimated.
| Syllables | Words | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | world, I, like |
| 2 | 1 | Hello |
| 3 | 1 | tomatoes |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the syllable count?
For a word in the dictionary, the count is the number of vowel sounds in its American English pronunciation, which is exact for that pronunciation. A word marked Estimate is a rule's guess and can be one syllable off.
Why can a count differ from a dictionary's syllable division?
Dictionaries divide words for printing, and a silent e or a silent letter is not a spoken syllable. This tool counts the vowel sounds that are spoken, so a silent e does not add a syllable.
What is an estimated word?
A word that the dictionary does not list, such as a new word, a name or an unusual form. Its count comes from its letters by a simple rule, and the table marks it Estimate.
Why do some words have two pronunciations?
The dictionary lists more than one way to say some words, such as tomato. The count uses the first pronunciation, and tomato has three syllables in both of its pronunciations.
Does a long word count as more syllables?
Not by its length. The count is of vowel sounds only, so strengths, which is long to read, has one syllable.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. The count runs in your browser. The dictionary is loaded the first time the tool needs it, and nothing you type is stored or sent.
Sources
Figures and text last checked on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.