How to use the paragraph counter
Paste your text and the number of paragraphs appears straight away, along with the total words and sentences, the average paragraph length in words and in sentences, and the longest and shortest paragraph. Lines that contain only spaces or symbols are ignored, so a row of asterisks between sections won't inflate the count.
Any line break or blank lines only?
Text can mark paragraphs in two ways, and the right setting depends on where your text came from.
Any line break treats every non-empty line as its own paragraph. This matches how Microsoft Word, Google Docs and most editors count, because each press of Enter starts a new paragraph. Use it for text copied from a word processor, email or website.
Blank lines only starts a new paragraph only after an empty line. Use it for text copied from a PDF, a plain-text file or a terminal, where long paragraphs are often broken into several lines at a fixed width. Without this setting, every wrapped line would be counted as a paragraph. It is also the rule used by Markdown and many content management systems.
If the two settings give very different numbers, your text probably has hard line breaks inside paragraphs. The Text Cleaner can join those lines back together.
How long should a paragraph be?
It depends on the medium. School and university essays usually use paragraphs of five to eight sentences, each built around one main point with a topic sentence and supporting evidence. Online, paragraphs are much shorter. A block of text that looks reasonable on a laptop can fill an entire phone screen, and readers tend to skip dense blocks.
| Type of writing | Typical paragraph |
|---|---|
| Academic essay | 100 to 200 words, 5 to 8 sentences |
| Report or white paper | 60 to 120 words |
| Blog post or web page | 40 to 80 words, 2 to 4 sentences |
| Email or newsletter | 1 to 3 sentences |
A single-sentence paragraph is fine now and then, especially for emphasis. The Longest paragraph number is the quickest way to find the one block that needs breaking up.
Counting paragraphs for an essay
A classic five-paragraph essay has an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. If your assignment asks for a set number of paragraphs, make sure there are no stray empty lines or headings being counted. Headings with no punctuation still count as a paragraph with Any line break selected, just as they do in Word.
Frequently asked questions
How does Microsoft Word count paragraphs?
Word counts every non-empty line ended by pressing Enter as a paragraph. Choose Any line break here to get the same result.
My PDF text shows far too many paragraphs. Why?
PDFs break long paragraphs into separate lines. Switch to Blank lines only, so a new paragraph starts only after an empty line.
Do headings count as paragraphs?
Yes, a heading on its own line counts as a paragraph, as it does in most word processors. Remove headings first if your assignment counts body paragraphs only.
What is a good paragraph length for a blog?
Two to four sentences, or roughly 40 to 80 words. Short paragraphs are much easier to read on phones.
Last updated