Sentence Counter
Count sentences and paragraphs in your text instantly.
Something not working, or a feature missing?Report a problem or suggest a tool
How to Use
- 1Paste or type your text.
- 2View the live sentence and paragraph count.
- 3Copy your text when ready.
Features
- Sentence count
- Paragraph count
- Average words per sentence
Example
Input
Hello there. How are you?
Output
2 sentences
Analyze your writing and get an instant count of sentences and paragraphs, helping you gauge structure and readability.
Measuring sentences and paragraphs
The sentence counter shows how many sentences and paragraphs your text has, along with the average number of words per sentence. A sentence ends at a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark, and a paragraph is a block of text separated from the next by a blank line.
Why average sentence length matters
Sentence length is one of the strongest predictors of how easy text is to read. Long sentences force readers to hold several ideas in mind at once; very short ones in a row can feel choppy. Readability guidelines for general audiences often suggest an average of around 15–20 words.
| Average words per sentence | Usually reads as |
|---|---|
| Under 12 | Very easy; may feel abrupt if every sentence is short |
| 12–20 | Clear and comfortable for most readers |
| 20–25 | Fairly demanding; fine for specialist readers |
| Over 25 | Hard going; consider splitting sentences |
How to use the result
- If the average is high, find the longest sentences and split them where you see “and”, “which” or “because”.
- Mix lengths. A short sentence after two long ones gives readers a rest and adds emphasis.
- Keep paragraphs focused on one idea. Online, three to five sentences per paragraph is a comfortable maximum.
Limits of automatic counting
Abbreviations with full stops, such as “e.g.”, “Dr.” or “U.S.”, and decimal numbers like 3.5 can be counted as extra sentence breaks. In normal prose this has little effect on the average, but text full of abbreviations will show a slightly higher sentence count than a person would.
For word count, character count and reading time in one place, use the Word Counter.