Syllable Counter & Haiku Checker
Type or paste your poem and the syllable count appears beside every line. Pick a form and each line turns green when it lands on the pattern, amber when it is one beat away, and red when it drifts further off.
Choose a form
- Free form
- No fixed pattern. Counts appear next to every line.
- Haiku
- Three lines: 5, 7, 5 syllables.
- Tanka
- Five lines: 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 syllables.
- Limerick
- Five lines, roughly 8, 8, 5, 5, 8 syllables.
- Cinquain
- Five lines: 2, 4, 6, 8, 2 syllables.
Common Questions
How are the syllables counted?
Each word is checked against a pronunciation dictionary so counts match how the word is actually said. When a word is not in the dictionary, or you are offline, the tool falls back to a vowel-group estimate, which is close for most everyday words.
Why does a syllable count differ from how I say a word?
English syllables shift with accent and dialect. Words like fire or hour are said as one or two beats depending on the speaker. Trust your own ear for the final read, and treat the count as a guide rather than a rule.
Does the haiku checker follow the 5-7-5 rule strictly?
It marks a line green when it hits the target, amber when it is one syllable away, and red when it is further off. Many modern haiku break from 5-7-5 on purpose, so the colors are there to guide you, not to grade you.