About this sentence counter
Most sentence counters split text at every period, so "Dr. Smith arrived at 5 p.m." counts as three sentences. This one recognizes titles, references such as e.g. and Fig., initials such as J. K., decimals, and ellipses, so the count matches what a reader would say. It then labels each sentence as a statement, question, exclamation, or fragment, and as simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex, and combines sentence length, rhythm, and variety into a writing score out of 100. Writers, students, and editors use it to meet sentence limits and to spot text that reads flat or runs on.
How to use this sentence counter
- Add your text. Type, paste, or press an example. An example only fills the box; it does not count yet.
- Press Count sentences. The totals, the writing score, the type and structure tables, and the list of every sentence appear below.
- Review the sentences. Use the filter buttons above the list to show only questions, fragments, or another type, and check the longest sentence for a run-on.
- Revise and count again. Edit the text and press Count sentences again, or press Clear to start over.
Frequently asked questions
How does it avoid counting abbreviations as sentences?
A period after a title (Mr., Dr., Prof.), a reference (e.g., i.e., Fig., No.), a month or weekday abbreviation, or a single initial does not end a sentence. A period, question mark, or ellipsis followed by a lowercase word does not end one either, which keeps "U.S. economy" and "5 p.m. today" together. Periods inside numbers such as 3.14 never end a sentence.
Does a line break end a sentence?
Yes. Headings, list items, and lines without closing punctuation are counted as separate sentences and labeled as fragments, so they are easy to find in the list.
How are sentence types decided?
By the closing mark: a period or ellipsis makes a statement, a question mark a question, and an exclamation mark an exclamation. With a combined mark such as ?! the first mark decides. A sentence with no closing mark is a fragment.
How are simple, compound, and complex sentences detected?
A sentence is compound when two clauses are joined by a comma and and, but, or, nor, for, yet, or so, or by a semicolon. It is complex when it contains a subordinate word such as because, although, when, if, which, or who. It is compound-complex when it has both. This is a pattern check on the words, not a full grammar parse, so treat it as a guide.
How is the writing score calculated?
Up to 40 points for an average of 15 to 22 words per sentence, 25 points for a healthy mix of short and long sentences, 20 points for using at least two of statements, questions, and exclamations, and 15 points for using three or more sentence structures.
Are words and characters counted the same way as in the Word Counter?
Yes. Words are letter and digit runs, with each Chinese or Japanese character counted as one word, and characters are counted as they appear on screen, including spaces and line breaks.