What is the ideal sentence length for web content?

Aim for an average of 15–20 words per sentence for general web content. Mix short sentences (5–10 words) with medium ones (15–20 words) for natural rhythm. Avoid sentences over 30 words.

Does sentence length affect readability scores?

Yes. Average sentence length is a primary variable in Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and SMOG readability formulas. Shorter sentences directly produce higher (easier) readability scores.

How do I make long sentences shorter?

Split at conjunctions (and, but, because, which). Convert relative clauses into separate sentences. Remove unnecessary qualifiers and parenthetical phrases. Break compound sentences into two simple sentences.

Can sentences be too short?

Very short sentences (3–5 words) used constantly can make writing feel choppy and elementary. Mix lengths: use short sentences for emphasis and impact, medium sentences for information delivery.

Does this work for all types of content?

Yes — paste any English text for sentence analysis. Works for blog posts, product descriptions, email copy, landing pages, and any other text you want to analyse.

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Sentence Counter

Count sentences in your text and get average sentence length and words-per-sentence statistics.

Text

What is Sentence Counter?

The Sentence Counter counts all sentences in your text and calculates key sentence metrics: total sentence count, average sentence length (words per sentence), longest sentence, and the percentage of complex sentences. These metrics are used in readability formulas and writing quality assessments.

Sentence length is one of the primary drivers of readability. The Flesch-Kincaid formula uses average sentence length as a key variable. Shorter sentences are easier to read and process. Mixing short and medium sentences creates a natural writing rhythm that keeps readers engaged.

Why Use Sentence Counter?

Long, complex sentences are the most common cause of low readability scores and reader drop-off. Identifying your average sentence length helps you target the most impactful edits for readability improvement — breaking up excessively long sentences is usually the fastest way to improve a readability score.

Key Features of Sentence Counter

✓Counts total sentences in any text
✓Shows average words per sentence
✓Identifies longest and most complex sentences
✓Calculates percentage of long sentences (20+ words)
✓Works alongside the readability checker for full analysis

How to Use Sentence Counter

1
Paste your text
Enter the text you want to analyse into the sentence counter.
2
Count sentences
Click 'Count Sentences' to analyse sentence structure.
3
Review average length
Check your average sentence length. Aim for 15–20 words for most web content.
4
Find long sentences
Identify sentences over 25 words that could be broken into two shorter sentences.
5
Edit for clarity
Break long sentences at natural conjunction points to improve flow and readability.