Haiku checker
Ask “is this a haiku?” against the English teaching shape 5 · 7 · 5. Live syllable deltas from the same engine as the lyriic poetry editor — a private haiku syllable counter in your browser.
This draft hits 5 · 7 · 5.
Draft
- 5/5
Matches
- 7/7
Matches
- 5/5
Matches
Counts use English syllables from the bundled dictionary. Traditional Japanese haiku is measured in on — sound units that are not the same as English syllables — so treat 5 · 7 · 5 as a useful teaching form, not a universal rule.
A short history
Haiku grew out of earlier Japanese linked-verse traditions, with the opening hokku later standing alone. In English classrooms and workshops, the form is often taught as three lines totaling seventeen syllables in a 5-7-5 pattern.
That English teaching shape is useful for practice, but it is not identical to Japanese counting in on (sound units), and many contemporary English haiku writers prefer a looser, image-first approach.
Famous poems
Old pond — Matsuo Bashō
An old silent pond — / A frog jumps into the pond — / Splash! Silence again.
Classroom staple of the pond/frog moment; English versions rarely match 5-7-5 because the original counts on, not syllables.
Crow on a bare branch — Matsuo Bashō
On a bare branch / A crow has alighted — / Autumn evening.
Often taught for its spare autumn image (kigo); syllable totals swing with each translator’s phrasing.
Lighting one candle — Yosa Buson
Lighting one candle / with another candle — / spring evening.
A spring-evening haiku frequently anthologized in English; again, translations diverge from strict 5-7-5.
This world of dew — Kobayashi Issa
This world of dew / is a world of dew — / and yet, and yet…
Issa’s dewdrop poem is a common teaching example of pathos within a short seasonal frame.
The 5 · 7 · 5 syllable cycle
In English classrooms and workshops, a three-line poem is often taught as five syllables, then seven, then five—seventeen syllables in all. lyriic’s Haiku and Senryu meters use that same cycle for live syllable checking.
Traditional Japanese haiku is measured in on (sound units, sometimes discussed as morae), not English syllables. An on is often shorter than a typical English syllable, so a 17-on Japanese poem is usually briefer than a padded 5-7-5 English draft. Many contemporary English haiku writers prefer a shorter, image-first shape rather than a strict seventeen-syllable count.
Treat 5 · 7 · 5 here as a useful teaching grid: lyriic counts English syllables from the bundled dictionary and does not model Japanese on, seasonal words (kigo), or cutting words (kireji).
Notes on this form
lyriic does not enforce seasonal words (kigo) or a cutting word (kireji).
Common questions
- Is this a haiku?
- Paste three lines above. lyriic compares each line to the English teaching pattern 5 · 7 · 5 and shows syllable deltas. A match means the draft fits that classroom shape — not that it meets every traditional Japanese haiku convention (kigo, kireji, on counting).
- How many syllables does a haiku have?
- In English teaching contexts, seventeen syllables across three lines: five, then seven, then five. Traditional Japanese haiku is measured in on (sound units), which is not identical to English syllables.
- Can I use this as a haiku syllable counter?
- Yes. This page is a 5-7-5 syllable counter with live deltas against the haiku form. For open poems without a fixed pattern, use the general syllable counter. Open the syllable counter
- What is a 5-7-5 haiku?
- In English teaching contexts, a haiku is often three lines with five syllables, then seven, then five. Traditional Japanese haiku is measured in on (sound units), which is not identical to English syllables.
- Does lyriic include a haiku meter ruler?
- Yes. Open the Haiku writer, or choose Haiku under Meter in Settings, for live 5/7/5 ticks beside each line as you write.
- Is my haiku uploaded?
- No. Syllable checks run locally in your browser. lyriic is local-first and does not require an account.
- Can I continue this draft in the editor?
- Yes. Use Continue in the editor with Haiku — if you edited the checker (not just the stock sample), that text carries into the editor once. Nothing is uploaded. Continue in the editor with Haiku