b2KIT

Text Statistics Tool

Analyze text with comprehensive statistics including words, syllables, sentences, vocabulary richness, and grade level.

Tested tool guide Text and writing tools Checked August 16, 2026

What Text Statistics Tool does, with a checked example

This tool takes a block of text and returns its vital statistics: word, sentence, and syllable counts, unique words, vocabulary richness, and a grade level. Counts are mechanical - words split on spaces, sentences end at terminal punctuation, syllables are estimated from the written word - so the same input always gives the same output. What surprises most users is the grade level: it comes from a readability formula, not a judgment, and different formulas score the same text differently. On very short texts the number can swing especially wide.

Worked example

A concrete input and expected output from the current implementation.

Input

A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Expected output

Words: 9 | Sentences: 1 | Syllables: 11 | Unique words: 9 | Type-token ratio: 1.00 | Letters: 33 | Grade level: ~2.3 (Flesch-Kincaid)

The counts follow standard conventions: 9 words in one sentence; over and lazy carry two syllables each and the rest one, for 11 total; no word repeats, so all 9 are unique and the type-token ratio is 9/9 = 1.00; the text contains 33 letters. The grade level applies the Flesch-Kincaid formula, 0.39 x (words/sentences) + 11.8 x (syllables/words) - 15.59 = 0.39 x 9 + 11.8 x 11/9 - 15.59, about 2.3. Other formulas give nearby but different numbers, so treat grade level as approximate.

How the result is produced

1

Counting conventions

The text is split into words on whitespace and into sentences at terminal punctuation, so the counts are deterministic: the same paste always produces the same numbers. Syllable counts are estimates computed from the written word rather than from pronunciation, so a word such as hour can count as one syllable even though it is spoken with two. These are conventions, and no two counters apply them identically.

2

Vocabulary richness and grade level

The unique-word count divided by the total word count gives the type-token ratio, the vocabulary-richness figure: 1.00 means no word repeats, and lower values mean more repetition. The grade level comes from a readability formula that weights sentence length together with word length or syllable load. Such formulas are published and standardized, but each weighs the factors differently, so the number is a guide, not a measurement.

Good uses

  • Screening a draft for its audience: paste a blog post or help article, read the grade level, and catch copy that reads as too dense for the people it targets.
  • Checking a paragraph for repetitive vocabulary: a low type-token ratio shows when the same words are carrying too much of the text, a signal to vary word choice.
  • Verifying a rewrite: paste the original and the simplified version, and compare word, sentence, and grade-level figures to confirm the revision genuinely got simpler.

Limits and checks

  • Grade level is formula-dependent. Flesch-Kincaid, Coleman-Liau, and similar formulas weight different features, so the same text can score differently depending on which formula the tool applies. A grade-level figure is only comparable with itself: track one tool's formula over time instead of switching tools and comparing numbers.
  • Very short texts give unstable numbers. A one-sentence paste can produce a grade-level score that swings across grade bands depending on the formula, and rule-based syllable counts can disagree with spoken pronunciation: hour is spoken with two syllables but may count as one. Treat statistics from a few lines of text as provisional.
  • Type-token ratio punishes length. A short paragraph can score 1.00 while a long, carefully varied essay scores far lower, because some repetition across hundreds of words is nearly unavoidable. The ratio measures one text against itself, so do not use it to compare texts of different lengths, and a low value is not proof of weak writing.

Common questions

Why does the syllable count disagree with how I pronounce a word?

Because syllables are counted from the written word, not by listening. The rules exist so that the count is computable and repeatable, but they are not phonetics: hour is spoken with two syllables yet may count as one, and silent letters are ignored. If a count looks wrong, check the spelling first - the rule is probably working as designed.

Is the grade level a reliable measure of writing quality?

No. A grade level is a readability formula built mostly from sentence length and word difficulty, and it says nothing about clarity, logic, or correctness. A short, choppy text of easy words can score very low and still be badly written. Use it as a rough audience check, compare it only with the same formula, and read the text yourself before trusting the number.

References and verification

The example and behavioral notes were checked against the browser implementation. Standards and primary references below define the relevant format, formula, or platform behavior.

Related Tools