Count morae (sound units) in Japanese or English haiku lines. Checks the 5-7-5 pattern instantly — plus a searchable kigo (seasonal word) reference you can click to insert.
Japanese: type in hiragana / katakana (kanji are skipped — write their kana reading). Each kana = 1 mora; yoon pair (きゃ) = 1; っ / ん / ー = 1 each.
Kigo (季語) Reference
Click any kigo to copy it to your clipboard (or insert at cursor if the text area is focused).
Inserted into your haiku!
How it works
A haiku is structured as 5 – 7 – 5 sound units (morae in Japanese, syllables in English). Each line is checked independently.
Japanese morae
Every hiragana/katakana counts as 1. Yoon pairs (きゃ, にょ…) count as 1 together. Long vowel ー = 1. っ/ン = 1.
English syllables
Vowel clusters (a,e,i,o,u) form one syllable each. Silent -e at word end is excluded. One syllable minimum per word.
5-7-5 rule
Line 1 = 5 morae, Line 2 = 7 morae, Line 3 = 5 morae. The badge turns green when exact, red when off.
Kigo (季語)
A seasonal reference word that grounds the poem in a time of year. Traditional haiku require at least one kigo.
Example (Bashō in kana): ふるいけや (5) / かわずとびこむ (7) / みずのおと (5). Each mora: fu-ru-i-ke-ya = 5 ✓, ka-wa-zu-to-bi-ko-mu = 7 ✓, mi-zu-no-o-to = 5 ✓. Type kana; kanji readings must be spelled out in hiragana.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a mora and a syllable?
A mora (plural: morae) is the basic timing unit in Japanese. It is smaller than a syllable in some cases: the word 東京 (とうきょう, Tōkyō) has 2 syllables but 4 morae (to-u-kyo-u). Haiku counting uses morae, not syllables, which is why a Japanese haiku cannot be translated directly into English by counting English syllables.
How do I count morae in Japanese correctly?
Count every hiragana or katakana character as 1 mora, with two adjustments: (1) a small よーん character (ゃゅょ/ャュョ) following a consonant kana merges with it into a single mora — e.g. きゃ = 1, にょ = 1; (2) ん/ン (nasal), っ/ッ (geminate stop), and ー (long vowel) each count as their own full mora. Kanji are read as their kana readings and follow the same rules.
What is a kigo and why does haiku need one?
A kigo (季語, literally "season word") is a word or phrase that signals the time of year in which the poem is set. It is a cornerstone of traditional Japanese haiku practice: the saijiki (歳時記) is a dictionary of thousands of kigo organized by season. While modern free-form haiku (haiku in the West) sometimes omit kigo, classical and competitive haiku judges consider them essential. This tool includes a curated selection of common kigo searchable by season.