Syllable Counter API

About the Syllable Counter API

Syllable Counter works by analyzing text word-by-word using the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary to count syllables based on phonetic data. For unknown words, it uses rule-based syllable counting. Maximum text length is 500 characters.

What people use it for

Readability Analysis

Calculate syllable counts for readability scores like Flesch-Kincaid and Flesch Reading Ease

Poetry & Lyrics

Verify syllable counts in poetry, song lyrics, and haiku to match required meters and structures

Education

Create educational materials with appropriate syllable complexity for different reading levels

Content Optimization

Analyze content syllable counts to adjust writing complexity for target audiences

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON

Default REST response

XML

Markup format

YAML

Human-readable

CSV

Tabular export

Beta

GraphQL

Query language

New

MCP

For AI agents

Request parameters — POST /v1/syllablecounter

Sent as JSON in the request body. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them. Anything not listed here is dropped rather than passed through.

Required

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curl -X POST "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/syllablecounter" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text":"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"}'

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — no token exchange, and no per-endpoint scope to configure.

Response — POST /v1/syllablecounter

Every APIVerve endpoint returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape.

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "text": "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog",
    "total_syllables": 11,
    "word_count": 9,
    "average_syllables_per_word": 1.22,
    "words": [
      {
        "word": "the",
        "syllables": 1
      },
      {
        "word": "quick",
        "syllables": 1
      },
      {
        "word": "brown",
        "syllables": 1
      },
      {
        "word": "fox",
        "syllables": 1
      },
      {
        "word": "jumps",
        "syllables": 1
      },
      {
        "word": "over",
        "syllables": 2
      },
      {
        "word": "the",
        "syllables": 1
      },
      {
        "word": "lazy",
        "syllables": 2
      },
      {
        "word": "dog",
        "syllables": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Response headers

Every response carries your balance, so your own code always knows where it stands without polling anything. All four are exposed to browsers through CORS.

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change.

What a call costs — 2 credits per call

Credits are shared across every APIVerve API — one balance, one key, one bill. Failed requests never count against it, so a rejected input costs nothing.

Calls are what the credits buy at this API's rate — spend them here, on any of the other APIs, or across both. Nothing is reserved per endpoint.

Zero-code embed — one snippet, no backend

Drop an interactive Syllable Counter form onto any page. The widget calls the API for you, so no key ever appears in your markup and there is nothing to deploy.

Changelog — Syllable Counter API

Every change to this endpoint, newest first. Breaking changes ship as a new version and the previous one keeps serving — response fields are added, never removed or retyped in place, so an integration written against v1 keeps working.

Currently v1