Syllable Counter
Type a word or block of text to estimate its syllable count per word and in total.
Last updated
How to count syllables
- Type a word, a line of poetry or a whole paragraph.
- Read the total syllables and the count for each word.
- Click Copy breakdown to copy the word-by-word list.
About this tool
English spelling doesn't map cleanly to syllable count, so this is an estimate rather than a dictionary lookup. It counts groups of consecutive vowels, then corrects for the patterns that trip up simpler counters: a silent final "e" (make, smile) but a sounded "-le" after a consonant (ta-ble); silent "-ed" and "-es" endings (jumped, makes, but want-ed, box-es); vowel pairs said as two syllables (pi-a-no, ra-di-o, play-er) except in endings like "-tion"; suffixes and compound words (lone-ly, some-where); and a short list of words no rule handles (every, business, beautiful). On a test list of 176 everyday words it gets every one right, but unusual words and names can still be off by one.
Nothing you type here is sent to a server — the entire tool runs as JavaScript in your browser tab.
Questions about syllables
How do you count syllables in a word?
Count the vowel sounds you hear. “Table” has two (ta-ble), “beautiful” three (beau-ti-ful), and “make” one, because its final e is silent.
Can it check a haiku?
Yes. Type each line and check for 5, 7 and 5 syllables.
How accurate is it?
It follows English spelling rules plus a list of exceptions, and gets every word in a 176-word test list right. Unusual words and names can be off by one.
Why do syllables matter for readability?
Readability scores such as Flesch Reading Ease use syllables per word; longer words make text harder to read. Try the readability checker.