Sentence Counter
Paste any text to instantly count sentences, words, and see the average words per sentence. Also calculates an estimated Flesch Reading Ease score to gauge how easy your writing is to read. Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
How to Use the Sentence Counter
Simply paste or type your text in the box above — stats update in real time. The tool counts:
- Sentences — splits on
.!?while ignoring abbreviations and decimal numbers. - Words — counts every whitespace-separated token.
- Average words per sentence — total words ÷ total sentences.
- Paragraphs — counts blocks of text separated by a blank line.
- Flesch Reading Ease — a readability score from 0 (very hard) to 100 (very easy).
Ideal Sentence Length by Content Type
| Content type | Recommended avg sentence length |
|---|---|
| Blog post / web copy | 14–18 words |
| News article | 12–16 words |
| Academic writing | 20–30 words |
| Children's content | 8–12 words |
| Legal / technical | 25–40 words |
Understanding the Flesch Reading Ease Score
The Flesch formula considers average sentence length and average syllables per word. A score of 60–70 is considered standard and suitable for most web content. Scores above 80 are very easy to read (newspaper-level). Below 30 is very difficult and suited for professional or academic audiences.
To improve your score: shorten long sentences, use simpler words, and break up dense paragraphs. Use this tool alongside the Word Counter and Reading Time Estimator for a complete readability audit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the sentence counter detect sentences?
It splits on periods, exclamation marks and question marks, handling common abbreviations to avoid false splits.
What is the ideal sentence length for readability?
Most experts recommend 15–20 words per sentence for general audiences. Mix short and long sentences for a natural rhythm.
What is the Flesch Reading Ease score?
A 0–100 score measuring readability. Above 60 is easy for most adults; below 30 is very difficult like academic or legal text.
How many sentences should a paragraph have?
A standard paragraph has 3–7 sentences. For web content, 2–4 sentences improves scannability.