How to use the lorem ipsum generator
- Fill in the sentence at the top: how many, of what (paragraphs, sentences, words, characters, list items or headlines), in which style and in which format.
- Fine-tune the paragraph and sentence length, or turn on headings, lists and links to get a full HTML or Markdown page for testing your styles.
- Click Copy or Download. The text updates the moment you change a setting, and the seed keeps it stable while you adjust.
- Want different text? Click New text. Want the same text again next week? Type the same seed.
What is lorem ipsum?
Lorem ipsum is placeholder text that designers and developers use to fill a layout before the real words are ready. It looks like readable text, with realistic word lengths, spacing and punctuation. It's in a language most readers don't know, so they judge the design instead of reading the copy.
The text comes from Cicero's De finibus bonorum et malorum ("On the Ends of Good and Evil"), written in 45 BC. The standard passage is a scrambled version of sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33. It spread through Letraset dry-transfer lettering sheets in the 1960s, then through desktop publishing software in the 1980s. Even the word "lorem" isn't real Latin. It's a fragment of dolorem, meaning pain.
The original line it's based on reads:
Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit…
Roughly: "Nor is there anyone who loves or pursues pain itself, because it is pain…"
Which unit should you use?
| Unit | Best for |
|---|---|
| Paragraphs | Blog layouts, article templates, landing pages and print mockups |
| Sentences | Card descriptions, captions, testimonials and short blurbs |
| Words | Matching a word budget, like a 300-word product description |
| Characters | Testing field limits, such as a 160-character meta description, a 280-character post or a database column |
| List items | Navigation menus, feature lists and dropdown options |
| Headlines | Title styles, card grids, email subject lines and section headers |
Themed placeholder text
Classic Latin is the safe default because nobody mistakes it for real copy. The themed styles swap in English jargon when you want the mockup to feel closer to the finished product:
- Tech jargon: for SaaS dashboards, developer docs and app screens.
- Corporate speak: for business sites, pitch decks and annual-report layouts.
- Foodie: for restaurant menus, recipe blogs and food packaging.
- Sci-fi: for games, book covers and anything that should feel like another world.
Tips for using placeholder text
- Match the real length. If your product descriptions will run about 80 words, generate 80 words, not three paragraphs. Layouts that look fine with filler often break with real copy.
- Test the extremes. Try one very short headline and one very long one, so you can see how the design handles wrapping and truncation.
- Test your styles with HTML or Markdown output. Headings, lists, block quotes and links show whether your CSS handles every element, not just paragraphs.
- Search for "lorem" before you launch. Placeholder text left on a live page looks careless, and search engines will index it.
Frequently asked questions
Is lorem ipsum free to use?
Yes. The text is over 2,000 years old and in the public domain. Use it in any personal or commercial project.
How do I get the same text again?
Every result comes from its seed. Type the same seed with the same settings and you'll get exactly the same text, which is handy for screenshots, tests and design reviews. New text picks a new seed.
Does the character count include HTML tags?
No. The character count applies to the text itself, so 160 characters means 160 characters of visible text. Choose plain text for an exact paste into a form field. "End on a whole word" stops at the last full word, so the result can be slightly shorter.
How many words are in a paragraph?
With the default settings, a medium paragraph has four to seven sentences of 6 to 16 words, usually 50 to 90 words. Short paragraphs run two to three sentences, and long ones seven to ten. Change the sentence length for tighter or looser text.
Is anything sent to a server?
No. The text is generated in your browser. Your settings are remembered on your device for next time.
Why is it called lorem ipsum?
Those are the first two words of the scrambled passage. "Lorem" is the end of the Latin word dolorem (pain), cut off mid-word in the version that became standard, and "ipsum" means itself.