Free Sentence Counter
A sentence counter tells you how many sentences a text contains. Paste your writing and this free tool counts the sentences, the average and longest sentence length in words, how many are statements, questions or exclamations, and lists the longest sentences. Writers, students and editors use it to check pace and to find sentences that run too long.
Sentence Counter
Text and Content
About this tool
A sentence ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark followed by a space or a new paragraph. The counter avoids the usual traps: it does not split after abbreviations like Mr. or Dr., after e.g. or etc., inside decimal numbers like 3.14, or inside initials such as U.S.A. Ellipses count as the end of a sentence. Lines without end punctuation, such as headings, are counted as their own sentence when they are followed by a blank line.
Average sentence length is the number of words divided by the number of sentences. Many style guides suggest keeping the average around 15 to 20 words for general web copy, and mixing short sentences with longer ones for rhythm. A very high average, or a handful of sentences over 30 words, usually means a sentence is trying to do two jobs and should be split. The list of longest sentences shows you where to start.
The split between statements, questions and exclamations helps with tone. Sales copy that is full of exclamation marks can feel pushy, and a page with no questions may miss the chance to echo what the reader is asking. Use the numbers as prompts to look again at your text. They are not rules, and the right balance depends on your audience and purpose.
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 followed by a space, or at a blank line between paragraphs. Abbreviations such as Mr., Dr. and e.g., decimal numbers and initials are recognised so they do not create false sentence breaks.
What is a good average sentence length?
For general web content, an average of 15 to 20 words is a common recommendation, with a mix of short and longer sentences. Academic and legal writing runs longer. If your average is above 25 words, check the longest sentences and consider splitting them.
Are headings and list items counted as sentences?
A line without end punctuation is counted as a sentence when it is followed by a blank line, which includes most headings. List items that end with a full stop are counted individually. If you want a clean prose count, remove headings and bullets before pasting.
Does it count sentences in other languages?
It works for languages that end sentences with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark followed by a space, including Spanish and French. For Hindi, the danda character used as a full stop is not recognised in this version. Chinese and Japanese punctuation is not supported.
How is this different from a word counter?
A word counter counts words, characters and sometimes lines. A sentence counter looks at structure: how many sentences, how long they are and what kind. It shows pace and complexity, which a plain word count cannot. The two are often used together when editing.