Japanese counts sound in mora (モーラ), not syllables — a long vowel, a glottal っ, and the final ん each take a full beat. That’s why ありがとう is five beats and why Japanese melodies fit (or don’t) the way they do. Paste Japanese lyrics and the counter grades every line, beat by beat. It runs on click, entirely in your browser.
Rules applied: small vowels fuse with the previous kana · っ/ッ = +1 beat · long-vowel mark ー = +1 · ん/ン = +1.
🛠️How it works
- Every full kana = 1 mora. Small vowels (ゃ ゅ ょ ぁぃぅぇぉ) fuse with the previous kana, so きょう = 2 beats, not 3.
- The three special beats. The glottal っ/ッ (がっこう = 4), the long-vowel mark ー (コーヒー = 4), and the nasal ん/ン (しんぶん = 4) each take one full beat.
- Kanji can’t be counted mechanically — readings vary. Lines containing kanji are marked ⚠ with a rough estimate (~2 mora per character); the precise count applies to kana-only lines.
📖Why mora, not syllables
English melodies are built on syllables and stress. Japanese rhythm is built on mora — equal time slots. A word that looks short can be long: しあわせ is 4 beats, ありがとう is 5, and a line of kana that fits a 7-beat melodic phrase as “3 syllables” will overrun it badly.
That’s also why classic Japanese forms count the way they do: haiku’s 5–7–5 is mora (on), and J-pop lines tend to cluster between 6 and 12. If you write lyrics for Japanese melodies — or translate into them — counting mora is the single fastest way to find out why a line won’t sit on the music.
🔧What to do with the result
- Pick a target count and hold it. For a J-pop style verse, 8–10 mora per line is a comfortable pocket. The verdict line tells you your spread.
- Trim with fusion, not deletion. Replacing している with してる (–1 mora) or ひとつ with ひと (context permitting) keeps meaning while tightening the beat.
- Then check it sings. Pair with the High-Note Vowel Map — Japanese line endings on a/o vowels (or ん) carry held notes beautifully.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Do you store the lyrics I paste?
No. Everything runs in your browser with JavaScript — your text never leaves the page, and nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Why does きょう count as 2?
き and ょ fuse into one sound (kyo), taking one mora; う adds the second. The counter fuses all small vowels with the preceding kana — that’s the standard Japanese counting rule.
How do you handle kanji?
Kanji readings depend on context (生 can be せい, しょう, い, う…), so no offline counter can read them reliably. Lines with kanji are flagged ⚠ and shown as a rough estimate of ~2 mora per character — convert the line to kana for an exact count.
Is this the same as haiku’s 5-7-5?
Same unit, different use — haiku counts on (mora) across three phrases. This tool counts full lyric lines, which in modern J-pop usually run 6–12 mora, but you can absolutely use it to check 5-7-5.
🧭Keep exploring
✍️ This tool is built and maintained by LyricDraft Editorial, a small team of songwriters and editors. Suggestions and bug reports: [email protected].
LyricDraft also offers AI lyric generators by genre, language and theme. All generated lyrics are original drafts from your prompts — nothing is copied from existing songs. Always review and adapt before use.