How to use our Consonant Counter
Start by entering text into the text-box above. The consonant count and vowel count above the text-box will automatically display the count as you type!
Below the text-box, the count of each individual consonant (B-C-D-F-G-H-J-K-L-M-N-P-Q-R-S-T-V-W-X-Y-Z) will be displayed. The letter and word count will be displayed below that.
If you want to copy the text in the text-box, simply hit the green "Copy Text" button.
That's all there is to it! Happy consonant counting!
Why use a Consonant Counter?
A consonant counter gives an analysis of the distribution of consonants in your writing.
A consonant counter will help you as a writer pin-point which vowels you are overusing or underusing.
Why is this important? Keep reading and you will find out how to use consonants to your advantage.
Considering Consonants and Consonance in Writing
When discussing parts of speech, it's easy to forget the most basic.
Let's take a moment to consider one one of the fundamental tools in language: the letters, themselves. More to the point, the letters that make up the vast majority of the Modern U.S. English alphabet. I'm talking, of course, about consonants.
While this may seem a bit elementary so far, those 21 letters are more versatile tools for a writer than you may realize – aside from the fact that we can't make complex words without them.
Let's dig a bit deeper into what consonants actually are, how they compare to their counterparts and how they can be used a bit more creatively in your writing.
Definitions are Important
Yes, here we go with the elementary discussion again, but it's important to understand what really sets consonants apart in order to fully appreciate how they impact the words we use, as well as how we can use them creatively.
It's easy enough to understand that any letter that isn't a vowel is a consonant.
However, the really important thing is this: Creating a consonant sound in speech requires partial or complete blockage of the airflow from the mouth, whereas vowel sounds only require shaping.
Now, just so we don't forget, the list of consonants includes that pesky "y" that can also masquerade as a vowel.
Beyond the Basics
So, we take these more "closed" sounds and combine them with the more "open" vowel sounds, and voila, we make words. Simple, right? Sort of.
Without completely going back to school, there are a few nuances to consider. Many consonants can have both "hard" and "soft" sounds, as in "create" and "cent."
In combination, some can create entirely new sounds, as in "there" or "share." Some can even become completely silent, as in "knight" and "psychic."
Did you notice that last word also has a "ch" combination that's pronounced with a "k" sound? Tricky things, these consonants.
"Using the Force"
One of the interesting properties of consonants is the ability to add a feeling of stress or force to a word.
"Stop." Three hard consonants and one vowel. And when you read it, you do it.
"Kick." A great word for a forceful action.
"Capitulate." You get the idea.
Break it Up
Another effect of consonants and consonant pairs that we grow accustomed to is the formation of another part of speech: the syllable. Words are often pronounced in separate syllables, divided by consonants, for example: "con/so/nant."
"So, where is all of this going?"
I'm so glad you asked. The real point is to heighten your awareness of how consonants are working in the background as you write. With that, you can leverage their effects to enhance your writing, whether you're creating The Great American Novel or a marketing article. The consonant counter above will help you do this.
I've even dropped a couple of examples above, but here are two more that can be both fun and effective:
Alliteration: "Peter Piper picked a peck..." A sound that repeats at the beginning of each word or at the stressed syllables of words in a string.
Note that it's the sound that matters, not the letter itself. "Coke and Ketchup with Cats" is a valid alliteration.
It's also important to note that alliterations can be created with vowel sounds, so it's not an exclusive function. On the other hand, there's a related figure of speech that's not only exclusive, but named for the letter set we're discussing:
Consonance: Interesting term, don't you think? It's usage is interesting, too. As you've probably guessed, it refers to a repeated consonant sound in a string of words. Vowels don't count. But it gets even more interesting.
The consonant sound can be repeated at the beginning of the words or at any other point in the words. So, our "Peter Piper" example above is an example alliteration and consonance at the same time.
But "dogs and frogs in colorful togs" is an example of consonance. Technically, so is, "logs and eggs and dirty rags," although it's not quite so appealing.
"How useful is all of this, really?"
That's a fair question and I'll do my best to answer it fairly and completely. Let's start with the last two terms we discussed.
Alliteration and consonance are excellent tools for poets and songwriters.
There's even a poetic form called "tautogram," in which every word in the poem must start with the same letter. Try one of those if you're up for a challenge, and remember that articles like "a" and "the" count, too, so "Roll the rugged rock..." won't work, but "Terry took the train to Tuscon..." will.
If you're writing a children's story, you might have some real fun with the idea. Tongue twisters, of course, are an obvious application.
Don't discount the power of these two in regard to other writing disciplines. They can easily add emphasis to speeches, stories and commercial content like ads, articles and websites. The type of content will, of course, dictate how heavily you rely on them.
Going back a bit further to the first examples in this article, you'll find that those short words like "Stop," comprised mostly of hard consonants are very effective in deliberately breaking the flow of an article, speech, letter or other piece to focus the reader or listener on what's coming next.
No, it's not the consonants by themselves that cause the break, but the number of hard consonants in the words matters. For instance, consider how effective the word, "pause" would be.
There are countless other ways to use the awareness of how consonants affect your writing. I'd like to reiterate that the awareness is the key.
I hope you've enjoyed this little tour of an important part of speech. May your confidence in consonants serve you well!
Thanks for using our online consonant counter tool!
Good luck writing! Now go use our consonant counter to count your consonants!