Syllable counter for poems
Type or paste a poem. The syllables in each line appear beside it as you write, with the total and the read-aloud time.
How the syllables are counted
Each word is split into its vowel sounds, with the usual English exceptions: a silent final e (stone), endings like -ed and -es that usually aren't voiced (walked, hopes) but are after some sounds (wanted, roses), and vowel pairs that make one sound (rain). It is an estimate, not a dictionary lookup, so an unusual word or a name can be off by one. Read the line aloud when it matters.
Counting for a form
A haiku runs 5, 7 and 5 syllables. A line of iambic pentameter, the sonnet's usual line, has ten. Many poets writing free verse use syllable counts to keep a stanza's lines roughly even, or to make one line stand out by breaking the pattern.
Questions
- Does it count syllables in every line?
- Yes. Each line gets its own count beside it; blank lines between stanzas are skipped.
- Is my poem saved or sent anywhere?
- No. The counting happens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
- How long will my poem take to read aloud?
- The read-aloud estimate allows for a reading pace of about 130 words a minute, plus a breath at each line break and a longer pause between stanzas.