Verb Counter
Count verbs in any text. See each verb highlighted in context, the verb-to-word ratio, and the most-used action words across your passage. Runs in your browser.
How to use the verb counter
1. Paste your text
Drop a paragraph, essay, blog post, or product description into the box. The counter scans on every keystroke. Plain text from Word, Google Docs, Slack, or email all paste cleanly.
2. Read the headline number
The red total at the top of the sidebar shows total verbs. Below it sit total words and total sentences. The verb-to-word ratio tells you how action-dense your prose is.
3. Skim the highlighted output
Every verb the tool flags is highlighted in red. Visual scan beats a number for catching weak-verb clusters ("is", "are", "have been" stacking up).
4. Check the most-used list
The sidebar shows the top 5 verbs by frequency. If "is", "are", "was", "were", "has", "have" dominate, your prose leans on linking verbs (state-of-being) instead of action verbs. Swap a few for concrete actions to lift energy.
5. Tune the ratio
Strong action-driven prose runs 18 to 25 percent verbs by word count. Academic and technical writing runs lower (12 to 18 percent). Above 30 percent reads breathless. Below 12 percent suggests verb-poor, noun-heavy prose ("the implementation of the deployment").
When you need to count verbs
Strunk and White: "use the active voice"
The classic style advice depends on counting verbs. If your draft is full of forms of "to be" (is, are, was, were, has been), you are probably writing passive constructions ("the report was written by Mary") instead of active ones ("Mary wrote the report"). The counter flags state-of-being verbs so you can see the problem at a glance. See also: preposition counter. See also: tighten your draft.
Resume and cover letter editing
Resumes live or die on action verbs. "Led", "shipped", "grew", "designed", "built" beat "responsible for", "in charge of", "involved with". Run your resume through the counter; if your most-used verb is "was" or "responsible", rewrite every bullet.
Marketing copy and CTAs
Headlines and CTAs need imperatives. "Get started", "Learn more", "Try free", "See how". A high verb count is a healthy sign for marketing prose; a low one means the page is describing instead of activating.
ESL writing practice
For non-native English writers, the most-used list reveals reliance on a small verb pool. If "do", "get", "make", "have" top your list, you can target your study toward more specific verbs ("achieve", "produce", "create").
Editing AI-generated drafts
AI prose famously over-uses linking verbs and "as a + X" constructions. A verb-to-word ratio under 13 percent often signals AI flatness. Use the counter as a tell when reviewing drafts; rewrite with concrete actions.
What this tool counts as a verb
The detector uses two signals: a curated list of around 270 common English verbs and verb forms (covering the to-be paradigm, modals, and the 60+ most frequent action verbs in all their inflections) plus a suffix-pattern check for words ending in -ed, -ing, -ize, -ise, -ify, -en, -ate (with a 4-character minimum).
Edge cases handled:
- To-be paradigm: is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being. All counted.
- Modal auxiliaries: will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must. All counted.
- Inflected forms: run/runs/ran/running all counted via the curated list.
- Phrasal verbs: counted as separate tokens. "Get up" registers as two hits (get + up), but "up" is excluded from verb suffix detection so the count stays accurate.
Edge cases the detector misses:
- Gerunds used as nouns: "Running is fun" - "running" is counted as a verb but is functioning as a noun here. A rule-based detector cannot distinguish gerund-as-noun from gerund-as-verb without a full POS tagger.
- Contractions: "don't", "can't", "I'm" - the apostrophe-form is captured if the base verb is in the list, but rare contractions may be missed.
- Past participles as adjectives: "the broken window" - "broken" is counted as a verb here because of the -en suffix, but it is functioning as an adjective. Trade-off of any rule-based approach.
Healthy verb ratios by writing type
| Writing type | Target ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Action-driven fiction | 22–28% | Hemingway, Cormac McCarthy: verb-dense. |
| News journalism | 18–22% | Active voice rules; verbs front-loaded. |
| Marketing CTA / headline | 20–30% | Imperatives dominate; "Get", "Try", "See". |
| Resume bullet point | 15–25% | One strong action verb per bullet ideal. |
| Academic paper | 12–18% | Passive voice is common; verbs are noun-supporting. |
| Technical documentation | 13–18% | State-of-being verbs are common. |
| Literary essay | 14–20% | Balance of narrative and reflection. |
Use the table as a target, not a rule. A skilled writer can break it on purpose; an unskilled writer breaks it without knowing.
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Frequently asked questions
What counts as a verb in this tool?
The detector combines a curated list of around 270 common English verbs and verb forms (covering to-be, modals, and the 60+ most frequent action verbs in all inflections) with a suffix check for -ed, -ing, -ize, -ise, -ify, -en, -ate (4-char minimum).
Why are 'is' and 'are' counted as verbs?
They are forms of the verb to-be (the most common verb in English). They are linking verbs (or state-of-being verbs), and they ARE verbs grammatically. The counter highlights them so you can spot reliance on them; that is the diagnostic value.
Are modals (can, will, must) counted as verbs?
Yes. Modal auxiliaries (will, would, can, could, shall, should, may, might, must) are all in the curated list. They modify other verbs but they are themselves verbs.
What's the difference between an action verb and a linking verb?
Action verbs describe doing (run, build, write, jump). Linking verbs connect a subject to a description (is, are, become, seem). Both are verbs grammatically. Strong prose uses more action verbs and fewer linking verbs.
Is the verb-to-word ratio meaningful?
Yes. Action-driven fiction sits at 22-28%, journalism at 18-22%, academic writing at 12-18%. Below 13% often signals AI-flat prose or noun-heavy construction; above 30% often reads breathless. Use it as a tuning indicator, not a rule.
Does the tool detect phrasal verbs (look up, run into)?
Partially. The main verb (look, run) is counted. The particle (up, into) is not. So 'look up' registers as one verb hit. For phrasal-verb-aware analysis, you need a full POS tagger.
Could anyone snoop on the text I paste in?
No. Detection runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server. Drafts, internal documents, and unpublished essays stay in this tab.
How is this different from a grammar checker?
Grammar checkers (Grammarly, ProWritingAid) tag verbs as part of broader style critique and require sign-in. This counter focuses on one signal - verb density - with a transparent rule-based detector and no account required.
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