Haiku Checker
Paste a haiku and see how many syllables each line and each word has, checked against 5-7-5, 3-5-3 or a pattern you type. Words that poets say two ways — fire, every, blessed — are marked so you can choose the reading. Free, no sign-up.
Type or paste a poem to count its syllables line by line.
How to Use the Haiku Checker
- Type or paste your poem. One line of verse per line of text. Blank lines are ignored.
- Choose a pattern. 5-7-5 is the traditional English count; 3-5-3 suits the shorter haiku many English poets prefer; a custom pattern such as 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 checks a tanka.
- Read the verdict and each line. Every line shows its count against its target and whether it is over, short or on the mark.
- Settle the doubtful words. A word with a dashed outline can be said more than one way. Press it to switch its count and watch the line total change.
How the Syllables Are Counted
Counts come from the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary, a free dictionary of North American English pronunciations, which this page loads into your browser the first time you type. A syllable is one vowel sound, so the count for a word is the number of vowel sounds in its dictionary entry. That is more reliable than counting vowel letters: jumped has one vowel sound and created three, whatever the spelling suggests.
A dictionary gives one pronunciation, and poems do not always use it. So each word that verse commonly says another way carries an alternative, built from documented conventions rather than guessed: fire, hour and flower can be one syllable; every, heaven and wandering often lose one; and an older poem may sound the -ed in blessed or the -ion in nation as an extra syllable. The default is always the dictionary's. When a different reading would make a line reach its target, the line says so instead of quietly passing or failing.
Words the dictionary lacks — names, coinages, rare archaisms — get a count estimated from their spelling, shown with a tilde. Treat it as a placeholder and set the right number by pressing the word. Poetic spellings such as o'er, 'tis and lov'd are read as they are spoken.
A Worked Example
Bashō's most quoted hokku, in Lafcadio Hearn's 1898 translation, reads Old pond — frogs jumping in — sound of water. Hearn himself describes the form as three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables, yet his English counts 2, 4 and 4: ten syllables against seventeen. The checker shows exactly that, and its season note picks out frogs, a spring word in the Japanese tradition.
Same poem, two counts
Hearn (1898)
Old pond / frogs jumping in / sound of water — 2, 4, 4
Written for 5-7-5
An old, quiet pond / a frog leaps in, then the sound / of water. Then calm. — 5, 7, 5
The second version is an original written to show a poem that fits the pattern. It is not a better poem — only a different trade, since fitting seventeen English syllables means adding words the Japanese does not have.
Does a Haiku Have to Be 5-7-5?
In Japanese, yes: the count is in on, short sound units, and a typical haiku has seventeen of them. English syllables are on average longer than on, so seventeen English syllables says more than the Japanese does. The Haiku Society of America's 2004 definitions note that most haiku in English are three unrhymed lines of seventeen or fewer syllables, and that some translators judge about twelve English syllables to match the duration of seventeen on. If your assignment says 5-7-5, count 5-7-5. If it does not, shorter is a legitimate choice.
| Feature | Checked here? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Syllable count per line | Yes | From dictionary pronunciations, with alternatives flagged |
| Number of lines | Yes | Against the pattern you choose |
| Season word (kigo) | Partly | A sample of well-attested English season words is recognised; the list is not complete |
| Cutting word or pause (kireji) | No | In English a dash, line break or grammatical break does the work; only you can judge it |
| Imagery and the single moment | No | No tool can tell you whether the image works |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you count syllables in a haiku?
- Count the vowel sounds, not the vowel letters. Pond has one, water two and butterfly three. A dictionary-based count settles words such as jumped (one) and created (three); for a word you doubt, say it aloud and tap out the beats.
- Does a haiku have to be 5-7-5?
- In English, no. The 5-7-5 pattern is a convention taken from the Japanese count of seventeen sound units, and many English-language haiku poets write shorter poems. Follow 5-7-5 when your teacher or contest asks for it, and treat it as one option otherwise.
- What is a kigo and does my haiku need one?
- A kigo is a season word, such as snow for winter or cicada for summer, taken from a traditional list called a saijiki. Traditional Japanese haiku carry one. English-language haiku often do not, so the checker only notes the season words it finds.
- What is the difference between a haiku and a senryu?
- They share a form. A haiku is about nature or the season, while a senryu is about human nature and is often wry or humorous. The syllable check works the same way for both.
- Why does this count differ from other syllable counters?
- Many counters estimate from spelling. This one reads a pronunciation dictionary and shows which words are ambiguous, so it can say that fire is two syllables in the dictionary and one in much verse. Use the dashed word buttons to pick the reading you mean.
- Is my poem uploaded anywhere?
- No. The pronunciation dictionary is downloaded from this site once and the counting happens in your browser. Your poem is never sent anywhere.
- What happens to words that are not in the dictionary?
- They are estimated from their spelling and marked with a tilde, because spelling is a weaker guide than pronunciation. Press the word to set the count yourself.