Sentence Counter
Count sentences and see your average words per sentence.
Count the sentences in any text instantly, along with paragraphs, words and your average words per sentence, a quick readability check for writers.
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About Sentence Counter
'Write at least twelve sentences.' 'Keep sentences short and punchy.' Both instructions are impossible to verify by eye, which is why writers and students count. This tool counts sentences instantly, splitting on periods, exclamation marks, question marks, and ellipses, and pairs the count with paragraphs, words, and your average words per sentence, the single most useful readability number a writer can watch.
That average is where the real insight lives. Most style guides suggest keeping average sentence length around 15 to 20 words for clear, readable prose; a climbing average is an early warning that your paragraphs are getting dense. Students use the raw count to check assignment minimums, bloggers use it to keep intros snappy, and editors use it to spot the marathon sentence that needs splitting.
No method is perfect: abbreviations like 'Dr.' or decimal numbers can register as sentence ends, so treat the count as a strong estimate rather than gospel on tricky text. For the cleanest numbers, run it on finished prose rather than fragments of notes, bullet points and headings were never sentences to begin with.
How to use Sentence Counter
- Type or paste your text.
- Watch the live sentence and paragraph counts.
- Check average words per sentence for readability.
Why use this tool?
- Live sentence counting
- Average words-per-sentence readability hint
- Free with no signup
Tips for best results
- Watch the average words per sentence while editing, a rising average means your prose is getting dense.
- Use the count to verify assignment minimums ('at least 12 sentences') without hand-counting.
- Split any sentence far above your average; outliers are where readers get lost.
- Run it on finished prose, not note fragments, headings and bullet points skew the count.
- Pair the sentence count with reading time to judge both the structure and the effort of a draft.