How sentences are detected
A sentence ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark (including "?!" and "…"), optionally followed by a closing quote or bracket. Common abbreviations such as Mr., Mrs., Dr., Prof., e.g., i.e., a.m. and p.m. are recognised so they don't split a sentence in two. Text with no final punctuation still counts as one sentence.
How long should a sentence be?
Plain-English guides, including GOV.UK's, suggest an average of about 15 to 20 words, with no sentence over 25. Shorter sentences are easier to read on phones and for people reading in a second language. Mix short and medium sentences to keep a natural rhythm. For a full count of words, characters and reading time, use the word counter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count sentences?
Paste your text and the count updates instantly. It ignores full stops in abbreviations like "Dr." and "e.g.".
What is a good average sentence length?
About 15 to 20 words for clear writing.
How to use the Sentence Counter
- Paste or type your text into the box.
- Watch the counts and results update live.
- Compare them with the limits in the chart below.
- Edit until your text fits, then copy it out.
Why use this Sentence Counter
100% in your browser
Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
Instant results
Updates as you type, no waiting.
Mobile friendly
Works on phones, tablets and desktops.
Light & dark mode
Follows your mfaysal.com theme.
Free, no account
No sign-up, no limits, no watermark.
Explained
Formulas, tables and sources on the page.
Sentence Counter: chart and reference data
Source: UCAS, YouTube Help, Instagram Help, 3GPP TS 23.038 (SMS)
| Where | Limit | Roughly in words* |
|---|---|---|
| SMS (GSM-7, one part) | 160 characters | ≈ 27 |
| X / Twitter post | 280 characters | ≈ 47 |
| YouTube title | 100 characters | ≈ 17 |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters | ≈ 367 |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters | ≈ 500 |
| UCAS personal statement | 4,000 characters | ≈ 667 |
* English averages about 4.7 letters per word plus a space, so roughly 6 characters per word. Your text may differ.
Sentence Counter compared with the alternatives
| Feature | This tool | Word processor | Typical ad-heavy site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opens instantly | Yes | No (app launch) | Often slow |
| Text stays on your device | Yes | Depends (cloud docs) | Not always |
| Live count while typing | Yes | Yes | Varies |
| Free, no account | Yes | Licence or account | Often sign-up prompts |
Who uses it in the UK
- UCAS personal statements and job applications
- Social posts, SMS and ads with strict limits
- Essays and coursework word targets
- SEO titles and meta descriptions
More questions
Does it count emoji correctly?
Yes, the tool counts user-perceived characters where it matters, so most emoji count as one character even though they use several bytes behind the scenes.
Is my text private?
Yes. All processing happens in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you type or paste is sent to a server or stored.
Does it work with Welsh or other languages?
Yes. The tool works with any Unicode text, including Welsh accents such as ŵ and ŷ, and non-Latin scripts.
Why do different tools give slightly different counts?
Tools disagree on edge cases such as hyphenated words, numbers, URLs and line breaks. This tool explains its rules on the page so you know what is counted.
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Note: This free tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent or stored. Results are for information only.