About the Sentence Counter
Sentence length is one of the simplest signs of how readable a piece of writing is. Short sentences are quick to follow, while very long ones lose readers. This sentence counter tells you how many sentences your text contains, how many words each has on average, and which is the longest and the shortest. It recognises full stops, question marks, exclamation marks and ellipses, and it avoids false endings after common abbreviations such as Dr., Mr. and e.g. If any sentence runs past about thirty words, the tool points it out so you can decide whether to split it. Everything is counted in your browser.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Sentence Counter
- 1Paste your text into the box.
- 2Read the number of sentences and the total words.
- 3Check the average, longest and shortest sentence.
- 4Look for the note about very long sentences.
- 5Edit your text and watch the figures update.
Why sentence length matters
Readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid use average sentence length as one of their two main inputs. Shorter sentences give a higher reading ease score. Cutting a long sentence in two, or replacing a comma-chain with a full stop, is often the quickest way to make a draft clearer.
A sentence counter is also handy for translators and editors who are paid or judged by sentence units, for language learners who track how much they write each day, and for people preparing speeches, where a rough guide is one sentence every four to six seconds of speaking. Paste your draft, count the sentences and compare the average with the style of the audience you are writing for.
Tips for balanced writing
- Vary lengths: mix short punchy sentences with longer ones.
- Put the main point early in a long sentence.
- Split sentences that carry more than one idea.
- Check sentences that start with long lists or clauses.
- Read aloud: if you run out of breath, split it.
Example
The text Hello there. How are you? I'm fine! has three sentences with two, three and two words, an average of about 2.3 words. A paragraph such as Dr. Smith said so. It cost 3.5 dollars. is read as two sentences, not four, because the stop after Dr. and the decimal point do not end sentences.
Related tools
The Paragraph Counter and Word Counter measure other parts of a text, the Readability Score Checker calculates grade levels, the Grammar Checker spots mistakes and the Reading Time Calculator shows how long a text takes to read.
Features
- Total sentence count
- Average, longest and shortest sentence in words
- Handles Dr., Mr., e.g. and initials
- Flags sentences over 30 words
- Works with quotes and brackets
- Private and instant
Frequently asked questions
How does the tool decide where a sentence ends?
A sentence ends at a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis that is followed by a space or the end of the text, optionally with a closing quote or bracket. Titles like Dr. and Mr. are skipped, as are abbreviations such as e.g. when followed by a lower-case word.
What is a good average sentence length?
For general writing, 15 to 20 words is easy to read. Technical and legal text often averages 25 words or more, which is harder going. Mixing short and long sentences keeps the rhythm varied.
How many words is too many in a sentence?
Style guides often advise keeping most sentences under 25 words and splitting any over 30 to 40. Very long sentences are fine when they are clear, but they make readers work harder.
Does it handle numbers like 3.5 and web addresses?
Yes. A full stop in the middle of a number or address is not followed by a space, so it does not end a sentence. Only stops followed by whitespace or the end count.
Why is my sentence count different from Word?
Word processors use their own rules for abbreviations and quotes. Small differences, particularly with unusual abbreviations or poetry, are normal. The totals should be close for ordinary prose.
Can it count sentences in other languages?
It works with texts that end sentences with the same marks, such as most European languages. Languages with different punctuation, such as Chinese with the symbol 。, are not counted.