Sentence Length Analyzer

Every writing guide has an opinion about sentence length, but the average alone hides what readers feel. A text where every sentence has 18 words reads like a metronome; one that alternates short punches with longer, flowing sentences has rhythm. This analyzer shows both the numbers and the shape: every sentence as a bar, in order, so you can see the rhythm of your writing at a glance.

The rhythm chart

Each bar is one sentence, from the first on the left to the last on the right, and its height is the number of words. Varied heights read as natural rhythm. Long runs of bars of the same height are where readers start to drift. Bars above your long-sentence limit turn red, and a dashed line marks the limit itself. Hover a bar to see its sentence number and length.

The statistics

The average and median show the typical length; when the average is much higher than the median, a few very long sentences are pulling it up. Shortest and longest show the range. The standard deviation measures variety: low values mean uniform sentences. “Flat stretches” counts places where three sentences in a row are within two words of each other in length — the most common cause of a sing-song rhythm.

The distribution

The distribution groups sentences into bands of five words (1–5, 6–10 and so on) and shows how many fall into each. Most readable prose has a broad spread with its peak somewhere between 10 and 20 words, and a few sentences on either side.

Finding long sentences

Set the limit — 25 words by default — and every longer sentence is highlighted in the text below. Long sentences are not always wrong, but they deserve a second look: can a list become bullet points, can a “which” clause become its own sentence, can a parenthetical go?

How sentences are found

Sentences end at full stops, question marks and exclamation marks, using your browser’s sentence rules with extra handling for abbreviations such as Dr. and e.g., and every paragraph break ends a sentence. Headings and list items therefore count as short sentences.

A worked example

The sample storm paragraph has six sentences, ranging from two words (“We waited.”, “Nobody slept.”) to more than 30. The chart shows short and long bars alternating — a deliberate rhythm that builds tension — and the two long sentences are highlighted at the default limit. A report written in uniform 20-word sentences would instead show a flat row of bars and several flat stretches.

Who uses it

Novelists tune pacing in action and quiet scenes. Writers of reports, policies and patient information check plain-language targets. Teachers show students how varied sentences make writing more engaging, and speechwriters check that lines are short enough to say in one breath.

Revising for rhythm

To break a flat stretch, merge two short sentences or split a long one, and place a very short sentence after a long one for emphasis. To shorten a long sentence, look for “and”, “which” and semicolons, where it can often be split cleanly. Re-check the chart after each change to see the rhythm improve.

Related tools

Vary how sentences start with the Transition Word Checker, get a full readability score from the Readability Checker, cut weak verbs with the Weak Verb Checker, or count words with the Word Counter.