Preposition Counter
Paste any text and count how many prepositions it contains. The counter recognizes over 100 English prepositions, shows a frequency table of which ones you use most, and flags sentences with a high preposition ratio for editing.
How to count prepositions in your text
1. Paste your text
Drop any text into the input box. A paragraph, an essay, a chapter draft, or any block of prose.
2. Read the frequency table
The counter detects 100+ English prepositions and shows how many times each one appears. Most-used prepositions sort to the top. Use this to spot overused prepositions (a writer who leans on "of" too much, or repeats "in" five times in one sentence).
3. Check the highlighted text
The highlight box mirrors your input with every preposition marked. Useful for spotting clusters: several prepositions in a single phrase usually mean the sentence can be tightened.
4. Use the ratio as a guide
English prose averages 12-15% prepositions. A ratio above 20% suggests wordy phrasing. Use the per-sentence ratio (if you split your text into shorter chunks and re-count) to find specific sentences to trim.
What counts as a preposition
The counter recognizes two categories.
Simple prepositions (single words)
Common ones: of, in, to, for, with, on, at, from, by, about, against, between, into, through, during, before, after, above, below, beside, between, beyond, near, off, over, under, until, upon, within, without. There are about 70 in total in standard English. The counter includes the long tail (amid, atop, despite, regarding, throughout, versus).
Compound prepositions (multi-word)
Multi-word phrases that function as single prepositions: in front of, on top of, in spite of, in addition to, because of, as well as, ahead of, due to, regardless of, on behalf of, prior to, with regard to. The counter matches them as a single unit (so in front of counts once, not as in + of).
Word forms that look like prepositions but are not
Some words can be prepositions OR another part of speech depending on context. Like can be a preposition (tastes like sugar) or a verb (I like cake). The counter is permissive: it counts any matching word. For strict POS counting, paste through a real part-of-speech tagger first.
Why preposition count matters in writing
Prepositions are essential glue words but easy to overuse. Three reasons to track them:
1. Wordy phrasing
Sentences with 4+ prepositions almost always have a tighter version. The decision of the management of the company in regard to the policy of overtime compresses to management's overtime policy. Five prepositions to one.
2. Nominalization
Heavy preposition use often signals nominalization (turning verbs into nouns: make a decision instead of decide). The counter does not detect nominalization directly but high preposition counts in business writing usually correlate with it.
3. Sentence-rhythm clusters
The highlight box shows where prepositions cluster. Several in a row break rhythm: at the top of the stack of the box on the table. Rewrite to spread or eliminate.
Compound prepositions: a quick reference
The compound prepositions the counter recognizes (matched as single units):
| Compound | Example use |
|---|---|
| according to | According to the report |
| ahead of | Ahead of the deadline |
| because of | Because of the weather |
| due to | Due to a power outage |
| in front of | In front of the building |
| in spite of | In spite of the rain |
| instead of | Instead of waiting |
| on behalf of | On behalf of the team |
| on top of | On top of the desk |
| prior to | Prior to the meeting |
| regardless of | Regardless of the outcome |
| with regard to | With regard to your question |
The counter recognizes about 30 compound prepositions in total. Custom phrases that act prepositionally (in the wake of, with reference to) are matched if they appear in the recognized set; otherwise they are counted as separate words.
How to reduce preposition count
If your preposition ratio is high, the usual fixes:
Convert to possessive
The car of John -> John's car. Drops one preposition.
Use a compound noun
Manager of the project -> project manager. Drops one preposition.
Activate the verb
The committee came to a decision -> The committee decided. Drops two prepositions plus a nominalization.
Eliminate empty connectors
The book is in regard to history -> The book is about history. Same meaning, one preposition fewer.
Use a stronger verb
The leader provided guidance to the team -> The leader guided the team. Drops three prepositions (including a hidden one inside provided).
Limits of the counter
A few real limits to be aware of.
It does not disambiguate by context
The counter matches any word in the preposition list. Like can be a verb (I like cake) or a preposition (tastes like sugar); the counter counts both. For strict POS, use a part-of-speech tagger.
It is English-only
The list is English. Romance languages have different preposition systems; Germanic languages overlap with English but not identically. For non-English text, the counter gives an English-leaning approximation.
Compound matching is greedy from the inside
If your text contains in front of the counter matches it as a single compound; the inner in and of are not double-counted. For an even longer phrase like in the front of the counter falls back to matching in and of separately.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
What is a preposition?
A preposition is a word (or short phrase) that links a noun or pronoun to another word, typically showing position, direction, time, or relationship. Examples: in, on, at, to, for, with, between, during. Compound prepositions like in front of and because of work the same way.
What is a normal preposition ratio?
English prose averages 12-15% prepositions out of total words. Academic writing often hits 17-20%. Tightly edited journalism stays at 12-14%. A ratio above 20% suggests your writing is wordy and could be tightened.
Does the counter handle compound prepositions correctly?
Yes. The counter matches compound prepositions (in front of, on top of, in spite of) as single units before scanning for simple prepositions. The inner words (in, of) are not double-counted as part of the compound match.
Why is 'like' counted as a preposition when it can be a verb?
The counter is a permissive matcher, not a part-of-speech tagger. It counts any word in the preposition list. Like in tastes like sugar is a preposition; like in I like cake is a verb. The counter cannot tell them apart. For strict POS counting, use a dedicated tagger.
Does the text leave my browser?
No. The counter runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text and the analysis are never sent to our servers and are not logged.
How do I reduce my preposition count?
Most common levers: (1) Convert of constructions to possessives (the car of John -> John's car). (2) Use compound nouns (manager of the project -> project manager). (3) Activate the verb (came to a decision -> decided). (4) Replace empty connectors (in regard to -> about). (5) Pick stronger verbs that bundle motion or direction.
Does it work for non-English text?
Poorly. The list is English. Translated text from Romance or Germanic languages may match some English prepositions but the ratio is not meaningful. For non-English text, use a language-specific tool or a generic POS tagger configured to the source language.
Is there a limit on input size?
No hard cap. The counter handles multi-megabyte text comfortably. The regex pass is O(n).
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