Paragraph Counter
Count the paragraphs in any text and see how long each one is. The paragraph counter shows the average words and sentences per paragraph, your longest and shortest paragraphs, and flags paragraphs over 150 words, the point where web readers start to lose their place.
- Words per paragraph
- Flags long paragraphs
- Stays on your device
Paragraph by paragraph
Each paragraph with its sentences, words and characters. Long paragraphs are the first place to add a break on screen.
| # | Starts with | Sentences | Words | Characters |
|---|
Your paragraphs appear here, numbered.
How to count paragraphs
Counting paragraphs with the paragraph counter takes three steps.
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Paste your text
An essay, a blog post, a cover letter or a chapter. Paste from Word or Google Docs and the paragraph breaks come with it.
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Choose the paragraph rule
By default every line break starts a new paragraph. If your text uses a blank line between paragraphs, choose “A blank line only” so wrapped lines aren’t split.
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Check each paragraph
Every paragraph is numbered with its sentences, words and characters. Sort by length to find the longest ones to split.
The sample has 4 paragraphs. The third has 100 words in 3 sentences; the last is a single sentence of 6 words.
What counts as a paragraph
A paragraph is a block of text that ends with a line break. The counter offers two rules, because text copied from different places marks paragraphs differently:
- Every line break (default): each line with text is a paragraph. This matches Microsoft Word, Google Docs and the main word counter, where pressing Enter starts a new paragraph.
- A blank line only: lines that follow each other belong to one paragraph, and an empty line starts the next. Use this for plain-text emails, Markdown and text copied from PDFs, where long paragraphs are broken into several lines.
Empty lines are never counted as paragraphs, and a heading on its own line counts as a one-sentence paragraph.
How long should a paragraph be?
There’s no fixed rule, but these guidelines are widely used. A paragraph should cover one idea, however long it is.
| Writing for | Typical guidance |
|---|---|
| Websites and blogs | Keep paragraphs under 150 words. Yoast’s readability check flags longer ones; short paragraphs are easier to skim on a phone. |
| Academic essays | Develop one point fully, usually over several sentences. Purdue OWL suggests looking again at paragraphs of only two or three sentences. |
| Emails | A few short paragraphs, each one making a single point or request. |
| Fiction | Varies freely: long paragraphs slow the pace, short ones and single lines speed it up. |
| News | Short paragraphs, often one or two sentences, so readers can scan the story. |
What the paragraph counter shows
Alongside the paragraph count, the tool gives you the numbers that describe how your text is built.
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¶
Paragraph count
Every paragraph with text in it, under the rule you choose.
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Ø
Averages
Average words and average sentences per paragraph.
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150+
Long paragraphs
Paragraphs over 150 words, flagged so you can find a place to break them.
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1
One-sentence paragraphs
Useful for emphasis; too many in a row can make writing feel choppy.
How many paragraphs is an essay?
It depends on the word count. A common way to plan is to divide the total by the length you want each paragraph to be:
- 500 words at 100–150 words per paragraph is about 4–5 paragraphs.
- 1,000 words is about 7–10 paragraphs.
- The classic five-paragraph essay has an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion.
These are planning estimates, not rules: your assignment brief always comes first. To turn a word count into pages, use the Words to Pages Converter; to check the sentences inside each paragraph, use the Sentence Counter.
How to fix a paragraph that’s too long
Look for the point where the paragraph changes direction: a new example, a new reason, a change of time or place, or a “but” that starts a counter-argument. Break the paragraph there and give the second part its own opening sentence that says what it’s about.
If the paragraph is long because its sentences are long, the Run-on Sentence Checker shows which sentences to split first.
Paragraph counter FAQ
How does the paragraph counter count paragraphs?
By default, every line that contains text is a paragraph, like Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Choose “A blank line only” if your paragraphs are separated by empty lines.
Do blank lines count as paragraphs?
No. Empty lines, and lines with only spaces, are never counted.
How many words should a paragraph have?
For the web, under about 150 words is a common guideline. Academic paragraphs can be longer, as long as they stay on one idea.
How many sentences are in a paragraph?
There’s no set number: a paragraph needs as many sentences as it takes to cover one idea. Purdue OWL suggests developing paragraphs beyond two or three sentences, but a one-sentence paragraph is fine for emphasis.
How many paragraphs is 500 words?
Usually 4 to 5 paragraphs of 100–150 words each, or 3 to 4 if your paragraphs are longer.
Why does my paragraph count differ from Word?
Word counts every press of Enter, including headings and list items. If your text uses blank lines between paragraphs, choose “Every line break” here to match Word.
Is my text uploaded?
No. The count runs in your browser and your text stays on your device.
Sources and references
- On paragraphs, Purdue OWL
- Paragraph length check, Yoast
More writing tools
- Count Sentence Counter Count sentences and find your average, longest and shortest sentence. Open tool
- Count Line Counter Count total, blank and duplicate lines in text, lists, code or CSV. Open tool
- Convert Words to Pages Converter See how many pages your word count fills in any common font. Open tool
- Check Run-On Sentence Checker Find comma splices and fused sentences, with fixes for each. Open tool