Sentence Counter Live sentences, words, characters & reading time
Paste or type your text and get instant sentence, word and character counts. See average sentence length, spot overlong sentences, check reading time, and clean up your writing — all privately in your browser. No uploads, no tracking, no sign-up.
Sentence length distribution
How many sentences fall into each length band
Word length distribution
Most common word lengths in your text
Sentence breakdown
Every sentence with its word count. Long sentences are highlighted so you can split them.
Start typing to see your sentences broken down.
Text tools
Transform your text instantly — changes happen locally.
A sentence counter counts the number of sentences in your text and shows word, character and paragraph totals. It helps you check readability, stay within writing goals, and spot sentences that are too long for comfortable reading.
All processing happens inside your browser — your text is never uploaded, stored, or tracked.
How to use this sentence counter
- Type or paste your text into the input box on the left.
- Watch the live sentence, word and character statistics update on the right.
- Open the Sentence breakdown panel to see each sentence with its word count.
- Use the text tools to clean up spacing, punctuation, or formatting.
- Click Copy Stats to copy the report, or Save Report to download a full text file.
Updated October 2026
How sentences and paragraphs are counted
A sentence is a group of words that ends with a terminal punctuation mark: a period (.), question mark (?), or exclamation point (!). This tool also recognises the Devanagari danda (।) and double danda (॥), so Nepali and Hindi text is counted correctly.
Consecutive punctuation like ?! or ... is treated as a single sentence ending, so "Wait... what?" counts as one sentence, not three. A final sentence without terminal punctuation is still counted if it contains words.
Paragraphs are groups of text separated by one or more blank lines. Pressing Enter twice (creating a blank line) starts a new paragraph; pressing Enter once (a single line break) does not. Trailing newlines at the end of your text are ignored.
Words are runs of non-whitespace characters.
| Metric | What it counts | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sentences | Text units ending in . ! ? । ॥ (or a final fragment) | Readability, editing |
| Words | Runs of non-whitespace characters | Length targets, SEO |
| Characters | Every character including spaces | Platform limits |
| Paragraphs | Blocks separated by blank lines | Structure review |
| Avg words/sentence | Total words ÷ total sentences | Readability score |
| Reading time | Words ÷ 225 words per minute | Content planning |
Why sentence length matters
Short sentences are easier to read. Most style guides recommend an average of 15–20 words per sentence for general audiences. Sentences over 30 words are often hard to follow and are highlighted in amber; sentences over 40 words are highlighted in red.
Mixing short and long sentences creates rhythm and keeps readers engaged. If several sentences in a row are very long, try splitting them at a conjunction or semicolon.
Tips for clearer sentences
- One idea per sentence. If a sentence covers two ideas, split it.
- Cut filler words. Remove "very", "really", "just" and "actually" where they add nothing.
- Prefer active voice. "The team wrote the report" beats "The report was written by the team".
- Read aloud. If you run out of breath, the sentence is probably too long.
- Aim for variety. Follow a long sentence with a short one for emphasis.
Frequently asked questions
Is this sentence counter free?
Yes. The tool is completely free, requires no account, and has no advertisements.
Is my text stored or uploaded?
No. All counting and analysis happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing is sent to a server.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the page loads, every feature works without an internet connection.
How are abbreviations like "Dr." handled?
Simple counters can misread abbreviations as sentence endings. This tool uses punctuation grouping to avoid most false positives, but very ambiguous text may still need a quick manual review.
Does it support Nepali and Hindi?
Yes. The counter recognises the Devanagari danda (।) and double danda (॥) as sentence terminators, so mixed-script text is supported.
What reading speed is used?
Reading time uses an average of 225 words per minute, which is a common benchmark for adult silent reading.
Can I download a report?
Yes. Click Save Report to download a complete .txt file containing all statistics and your original text.