See how long your sentences are — and how varied
This sentence length analyzer counts the words in every sentence of your text and shows the result as a histogram and a sentence-by-sentence chart. You get the average, median and standard deviation, the longest and shortest sentences, a variety score, and a warning when several sentences in a row are almost the same length.
Sentence length is one of the strongest signals of how easy a text is to read, and variety is what gives prose its rhythm. A page of 30-word sentences is tiring; a page of 8-word sentences sounds childish; a mix keeps readers moving. Editors, teachers, students, copywriters and anyone revising a report can use the colour-coded view to see at a glance where the text bogs down.
The text is analysed in your browser and is not uploaded or saved.
How to use the Sentence Length Analyzer
- Paste your text into Your text. A sample paragraph is loaded to start with.
- Read the average words per sentence at the top and the tiles for median, spread, longest, shortest and variety.
- Look at the histogram to see how lengths are distributed, and the sentence-by-sentence chart to see the rhythm, with the average shown as a dashed line.
- Check the Colour-coded text: green under 8 words, blue 8–20, amber 21–30 and red over 30. Dashed outlines mark monotone runs.
- Open Every sentence for the full list, then press Export CSV or Copy summary.
Sentence Length Analyzer features
Per-sentence counts
Words and characters for every sentence, with abbreviations (Dr., e.g., p.m.) and initials handled so they do not split sentences.
Two SVG charts
A histogram in five-word bins and a bar per sentence in reading order, both drawn on the page and readable on phones.
Spread, not just average
Median and standard deviation show whether your average hides a mix of very short and very long sentences.
Variety score
Based on the coefficient of variation (standard deviation ÷ average): 100 means healthy variation, low scores mean a flat rhythm.
Monotone run warnings
Three or more consecutive sentences within two words of each other are flagged and outlined in the text.
CSV export
One row per sentence with its words, characters, band and text — ready for a spreadsheet.
What is a good sentence length?
Plain-language guides commonly suggest an average of 15 to 20 words, with no sentence much over 30. The average matters less than the mix: a few long, well-built sentences are fine if short ones break them up.
| Average words per sentence | Reads as | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Under 14 | Very easy | Children’s books, instructions, ads |
| 14–20 | Comfortable | News, web pages, business email |
| 21–25 | Getting long | Reports, essays |
| Over 25 | Long and dense | Academic and legal writing |
How to improve sentence rhythm
- Split red sentences at a conjunction or a semicolon, or turn a list into bullet points.
- Merge a run of short sentences that describe one idea.
- Follow a long, complex sentence with a short one to land the point.
- Check each long sentence for padding with the Filler Word Finder and for hidden passives with the Passive Voice Checker.
- For an overall grade level, use the Readability Checker, which also uses sentence length.
Sentence Length Analyzer FAQ
Why does my average look fine but the text still feels heavy?
An average can hide extremes: ten 5-word sentences and ten 35-word sentences average 20. Look at the standard deviation, the histogram and the red sentences in the colour-coded view to find the few long ones that slow readers down.
How does the sentence length analyzer count words?
A word is a run of letters or digits, including internal apostrophes, hyphens and dots, so don’t, well-known and p.m. each count once.
How are sentences detected?
A sentence ends at a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or line break. Full stops after common abbreviations and single initials are ignored, and headings on their own line count as separate sentences.
What does the variety score mean?
It is the coefficient of variation scaled so that a value of 0.6 or more scores 100. Below about 40 the sentences are similar in length and the text may sound monotonous.
What is the average sentence length in English?
Modern journalism averages roughly 15 to 20 words per sentence; academic writing often exceeds 25. Shorter averages read more easily.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser.