Lorem Ipsum Generator

How the text is built

The generator keeps a pool of 63 distinct words taken from the traditional Lorem Ipsum passage, from 'lorem' and 'ipsum' through 'laborum'. Each sentence is made by drawing between 8 and 16 words at random from the pool, capitalising the first and adding a full stop; each paragraph holds between 4 and 7 such sentences. With the checkbox ticked, the first sentence of the first paragraph is replaced by 'Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.' so the text is recognisable as placeholder at a glance.

Because words are drawn independently, a word can repeat within a sentence, and apart from the fixed opener the text does not reproduce the original passage. No commas, semicolons or question marks are generated, so the sentences are slightly plainer than classic lipsum.

How much text to expect

The typical figures assume the averages of 12 words per sentence and 5.5 sentences per paragraph, with pool words averaging 5.6 letters plus a space. If a layout needs a specific word count, generate a few more paragraphs than the estimate and trim.

How the paragraph field is interpreted

• Values above 50 are reduced to 50 and values below 1 become 1.
• Decimals are rounded down: 2.9 gives 2 paragraphs.
• A blank field or anything that is not a number gives 1 paragraph.
• Each click of Generate produces new random text; the previous output is replaced, not appended.

Where the words come from

The standard passage is a scrambled extract from Cicero's 'De finibus bonorum et malorum', written in 45 BC, a connection traced by the Latin scholar Richard McClintock. The word pool here is the vocabulary of that passage, which is why the output looks like Latin but reads as nonsense. The first sentence of the classic text is the only piece of the original that this tool reproduces exactly.

Formats this generator does not produce

• Output by words, sentences or bytes: the only unit is the paragraph. For a 50-word snippet, generate one paragraph and cut it down.
• HTML with paragraph tags or lists: the output is plain text with a blank line between paragraphs, which most editors and CMS fields convert into paragraphs when pasted.
• Headings, bullet points or titles. Combine the output with the Text Case Converter to turn a sentence into a Title Case heading.

Using placeholder text well

• Match the real content's length rather than filling space: a product card that will hold 20 words should be tested with 20 words, not a full paragraph.
• Keep the recognisable opening line in mockups shown to clients so nobody mistakes filler for final copy.
• Replace all of it before launch. Searching the finished site for 'lorem' and 'ipsum' catches leftovers.