Skip to content
TextArray1.41.0
100% local

Action word density

Measure narrative pacing by how many action verbs appear in each segment of your text.

Input
Output
Related tools
Readability score checkerBasic tools
Keyword density checkerBasic tools
Word frequency counterBasic tools
Cliche detectorBasic tools
Dialogue balance counterBasic tools
Pangram checkerBasic tools
Action word density
Action word density measures how fast a passage feels by counting action and motion verbs — ran, grabbed, struck, leapt, slammed and their -s/-ed/-ing forms — in each segment of the text. A high-density segment reads as fast-paced action; a low one reads as slower description, dialogue or exposition. It is a common revision technique for fiction, screenwriting and copywriting: if every scene comes out at roughly the same density, the pacing may feel flat even when the plot itself is moving.
Split the text either by paragraph, the default, or into fixed-size chunks of a chosen number of words, useful for pieces without clear paragraph breaks. Each segment reports its word count, action words, density as a percentage, average sentence length, and a small block bar so the pacing curve across the document is visible at a glance in plain text. Two extra counters flag likely pacing signals: short sentences, a proxy for quick, punchy pacing, and passive-voice markers such as "was slammed" or "has been running", which tend to slow a passage down even when the underlying verb is an active one.
The built-in list covers dozens of common English action verbs with their everyday inflections. Add genre slang, character-specific verbs or anything else the list misses as a comma-separated list of your own, and they are folded into the count using the same basic -s/-ed/-ing endings. Sort the segment list by density to jump straight to the fastest or slowest part of the text, or keep it in document order to read the pacing curve the way it actually unfolds on the page.
Everything runs locally in your browser: pasting a manuscript, script or article analyzes it instantly, and none of that text is ever uploaded or stored anywhere.
FAQ
How is action word density calculated?
Each segment's action words are divided by its total word count and shown as a percentage. A segment where 3 of 20 words are action verbs scores 15%. The overall figure at the bottom applies the same formula across the whole document.
What counts as an "action word"?
A built-in list of several dozen common English motion and action verbs — run, grab, strike, leap, shout, slam and similar — along with their -s, -ed and -ing inflections. Add your own terms in the "Extra action verbs" field as a comma-separated list; they get the same basic endings added automatically.
What do the passive-voice and short-sentence counters mean?
They are extra pacing signals, not part of the density score itself. Short sentences (a handful of words or fewer) tend to read faster; passive constructions like "was thrown" or "has been running" tend to slow a passage down regardless of how active the underlying verb is. Both are shown per segment so you can spot where they cluster.
Does this work for languages other than English?
The built-in verb list and the sentence-splitting rules are tuned for English, so word counts and segmentation still work on other languages but the action-word and passive counts will read close to zero unless you supply your own terms through "Extra action verbs".
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Action word density runs entirely in your browser, and your text is never sent to a server or stored anywhere.