How to Use the Sentence Variety Score Calculator
When every sentence runs about the same length, or each one opens with the same word, writing starts to feel monotonous and readers tire of it quickly. Strong writing tends to mix short and long sentences for rhythm, and vary how each sentence begins. Paste your text here and this tool analyzes the standard deviation of sentence length together with the diversity of opening words to produce a rhythm variety score from 0 to 100.
The score blends two equally weighted factors. First, it divides the standard deviation of sentence length by the average length (a coefficient of variation) — the higher this ratio, the more varied your sentence lengths are. Second, it checks what share of sentences start with a word that no other sentence starts with. The two are combined into a final score: 80+ is rated "very varied," the 60s "varied," the 40s "average," and anything lower "monotonous."
Alongside the score, you'll see the sentence count, average sentence length, and opening word diversity percentage, so you can pinpoint exactly what to adjust. It's a useful pre-publish check for blog posts and essays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mix short and long sentences instead of keeping them uniform, and vary the words that open each sentence instead of repeating the same conjunction or subject. If you notice most sentences start the same way, that's the first thing to fix.
Enter at least 5 sentences so the standard deviation and diversity ratio are meaningful. With too few sentences the score can be skewed, so a full paragraph or more is recommended.