BYTETOOLS

Lexical Density Calculator

Measure lexical density — content words as a share of all words — plus type-token ratio and unique word count. Free and 100% in your browser.

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Lexical density
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Total words
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Content words
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Function words
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Unique words (types)
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Type–token ratio

Classification uses an embedded list of ~230 grammatical function words (determiners, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliaries and degree adverbs). Words not on the list count as content words, so ambiguous words are approximated by their most common role.

What is the Lexical Density Calculator?

Lexical Density Calculator measures how information-packed your writing is: the percentage of words that carry content meaning (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, most adverbs) versus grammatical function words (the, of, and, was…).

  • Lexical density based on an embedded ~230-word function-word list
  • Content-word and function-word counts
  • Unique words (types) and type–token ratio
  • Reference bands for speech, prose and academic writing
  • 100% offline — nothing is uploaded

How to use the Lexical Density Calculator

  1. 1

    Paste your text into the input box.

  2. 2

    Read the lexical density percentage in the stats grid.

  3. 3

    Compare content-word and function-word counts to see the balance.

  4. 4

    Use the type–token ratio to judge vocabulary variety across drafts of similar length.

About the Lexical Density Calculator

Lexical Density Calculator measures how information-packed your writing is: the percentage of words that carry content meaning (nouns, main verbs, adjectives, most adverbs) versus grammatical function words (the, of, and, was…). It also reports your unique-word count and type–token ratio, two standard measures of vocabulary variety.

Linguistics students, language teachers, IELTS/TOEFL candidates and editors use lexical density to compare registers: casual speech typically runs 40–50%, ordinary written prose 50–60%, and dense academic or legal text above 60%. A very high density is not automatically good — it often signals text that is exhausting to read.

Everything is computed 100% locally in your browser using an embedded function-word list. Your text is never uploaded and the tool works offline.

Frequently asked questions

What is lexical density?

It is the proportion of content words — words that carry independent meaning like nouns, main verbs and adjectives — out of all words in a text. A sentence like “The cat sat on the mat” is 50% lexical: cat, sat and mat carry the content, while the, on and the are grammar.

What is a good lexical density score?

There is no single good score — it depends on register. Conversation typically measures 40–50%, everyday written prose 50–60%, and academic or technical writing 60%+. If your blog post scores like a legal contract, consider loosening it up.

How does the tool decide which words are function words?

It checks each word against an embedded list of about 230 grammatical words: determiners, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary verbs and degree adverbs like “very”. Anything not on the list counts as a content word, so words that can play both roles are approximated by their most common use.

What is the type-token ratio?

It is unique words divided by total words. A higher ratio means more varied vocabulary. Note that it naturally falls as texts get longer — only compare type–token ratios between texts of similar length.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. The analysis runs entirely in your browser, so your writing stays on your device and the tool works offline.

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