Syllable Counter
Count syllables across text with per-word detail for poetry, lyrics, and readability work.
Count syllables in any text instantly. Free syllable counter with per-word breakdown, totals and averages for poetry and readability.
Calculator Inputs
About Count Syllables
Count syllables across text with per-word detail for poetry, lyrics, and readability work.
Each word is scored by vowel groups with classic corrections: silent trailing e drops one (except -le endings), -ed endings usually add none, and tiny words count one. The summary totals everything and spotlights the longest words.
Heuristics reach ~90% on common English; proper nouns, abbreviations, and elisions (o’er) can fool any rule-based counter. Everything runs in your browser.
Where it is used
Checking haiku 5-7-5 structure, pacing lyrics and speeches, and feeding Flesch-style readability math.
How to use the Count Syllables
- Text — enter the value (e.g. An old silent pond…).
- Calculate — press the Calculate button to see the result instantly above.
Formula
Vowel-group count with silent-e, -ed, and ≤3-letter heuristics.
Examples
Example
Frequently Asked Questions
- How accurate is it?
- Roughly 90% on ordinary prose. Dictionaries beat rules for edge cases — use this for drafting, a lexicon for publishing.
- Why does "pond" count one but "silent" two?
- One vowel group (o) versus two (i, e with the silent-e rule preserving the -le ending).
- Can it check haiku?
- Yes — paste each line separately and compare against 5-7-5. Mind that strict syllable-counting purists debate some words.