Varied sentence length is an important feature of good writing.

The late Gary Provost illustrated it best:

To maintain your readers’ interest, use a variety of sentence lengths: some short and punchy, others long and flowing.

In this article, learn more about using ProWritingAid's Sentence Length report.

Using ProWritingAid's Sentence Length Report

This is the screen you see when you run the sentence length report:

The report takes you through the variety in sentence lengths in your piece, the average sentence length, and how many long sentences you have. It also provides you with a graph depicting a visual representation of the length of your sentences.

What the Scores Mean

The sentence length report gives you three scores:

1. Sentence Variety Score

The sentence variety is calculated using a concept called standard deviation. This is a mathematical measure of variety from the average. The higher the standard deviation, the more your sentence lengths vary within the document.

2. Average Sentence Length

The average sentence length for most published writers is between 11 and 18 words. If your average is above 18, then your writing might be too verbose or complicated. If your average is below 11, your writing will likely feel choppy. Check your score and then rework your text if you need to.

3. Individual Sentence Lengths

You can also see each sentence length throughout your document.

The graph helps you easily scan to find areas in your work that need more variety.

Use ProWritingAid’s Sentence Length Check to find your stats or create a graph of your sentences.

Take your writing to the next level:

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Whether you are writing a novel, essay, article or email, good writing is an essential part of communicating your ideas.

This guide contains the 20 most important writing tips and techniques from a wide range of professional writers.