Syllable Counter

Silent e's at word endings (like "cake," "time") don't add syllables. Our counter recognizes common silent letter patterns in English and doesn't count vowels that don't create separate sounds.

Some words like "fire," "hour," and "poem" are pronounced with different syllable counts in different English dialects. Our counter uses standard American English pronunciation, but notes common variations where applicable.

Traditional haiku uses a 5-7-5 syllable pattern: 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. Modern haiku sometimes varies from this, but 5-7-5 remains the classic form.

Compound words are counted by their component syllables. "Sunflower" has 3 syllables (sun-flow-er), "butterfly" has 3 (but-ter-fly). Our counter handles compound words automatically.

Yes, the counter handles most proper nouns by applying standard English pronunciation rules. Very unusual names or words from other languages may require manual verification.