Haiku: Meaning, Format and Examples
A haiku is a short Japanese poem of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable pattern: five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and five in the third, 17 in total. A traditional haiku captures a single moment in nature, usually hints at a season, and sets two images side by side.
Type or paste your poem into the checker below to see the syllable count of every line, then read on for the full haiku format, the rules, original examples and a step-by-step guide to writing your own.
Haiku Checker
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What is a haiku? Meaning and definition
The haiku meaning has two layers: a strict sound pattern and a particular way of seeing the world.
Definition: a haiku is an unrhymed poem of three lines (or three phrases) containing 17 sound units arranged 5-7-5, traditionally focused on nature and a specific season.
In Japanese the poem is counted in on, short sound units that are a little different from English syllables, and it is usually written in a single vertical line. When poets began writing haiku in English, the 17 sound units became 17 syllables spread across three lines, which is the version most people learn at school.
A haiku does not explain or tell a story. It shows one small, concrete moment, such as a frog jumping into a pond or snow on a branch, and lets the reader feel the rest.
Haiku format and structure
The haiku format is easy to remember: three lines, 17 syllables, 5-7-5.
| Line | Syllables | What it usually does |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | 5 | Sets the scene or the season |
| Line 2 | 7 | Adds detail or movement |
| Line 3 | 5 | Gives a twist, contrast or quiet ending |
| Total | 17 | One complete moment |
Here is one of the examples from this page broken down line by line:
| Line | Syllable breakdown | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry blossoms fall | cher-ry / blos-soms / fall | 5 |
| a child holds out both her hands | a / child / holds / out / both / her / hands | 7 |
| to catch the pink snow | to / catch / the / pink / snow | 5 |
Haiku normally have no title, no rhyme and very little punctuation. Most are written in the present tense, which makes the moment feel like it is happening now.
How many syllables are in a haiku?
This is the question people ask most, and the short answer is 17.
- 17 syllables in total, split 5-7-5 across three lines.
- 3 lines. A haiku is never longer than three lines.
- Not 7-5-7. Searches for "7-5-7 haiku" are common, but the traditional pattern is 5-7-5. A 7-5-7 poem is not a haiku.
Because English syllables carry more sound than Japanese on, many modern poets writing in English use fewer than 17 syllables while keeping a short-long-short shape. For school assignments and most contests, though, 5-7-5 is the rule. If you are unsure of a word, look it up in our syllable dictionary or read our guide on counting syllables in any word.
Haiku rules
Beyond the syllable count, traditional haiku follow a few guidelines. Use them as tools rather than laws.
- Follow the 5-7-5 pattern across three lines.
- Include a season word (kigo). A word that points to a time of year, such as cherry blossoms for spring, cicadas for summer, falling leaves for autumn or snow for winter.
- Use a cutting word (kireji) to create a pause. Japanese poets use words such as ya and kana. In English, a colon, a line break or an ellipsis creates the same pause.
- Put two images side by side. The space between them is where the meaning lives.
- Show, do not tell. Describe what you see, hear or feel instead of naming the emotion.
- Keep it in the present moment. Write as if it is happening right now.
- Skip rhyme and titles. Neither is part of the traditional form.
A short history of haiku
Haiku grew out of a much longer Japanese tradition of linked verse.
For centuries, groups of poets wrote long chains of verses called renga, taking turns to add stanzas. The opening verse, the hokku, set the season and the mood, and it followed the 5-7-5 pattern. Over time the hokku came to be written and admired on its own.
In the late 1800s the poet Masaoka Shiki gave these stand-alone poems the name haiku. The form reached the English-speaking world in the 20th century and is now taught in schools around the globe.
The four great haiku masters
| Poet | Lived | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Matsuo Bashō | 1644 to 1694 | Turning the hokku into serious art; the famous frog poem |
| Yosa Buson | 1716 to 1784 | Vivid, painterly images (he was also a painter) |
| Kobayashi Issa | 1763 to 1828 | Warm, humorous poems about small creatures |
| Masaoka Shiki | 1867 to 1902 | Naming and modernising the haiku |
The most famous haiku
Bashō wrote his best-known poem in 1686. In the original Japanese, read aloud:
furu ike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
Word for word it means "old pond (ya) / a frog jumps in / the sound of water". The word ya is the cutting word: it makes the reader pause on the still, old pond before the sudden splash. Counted in Japanese sound units, the lines are 5, 7 and 5.
Haiku examples
These original haiku all follow the 5-7-5 pattern. Paste any of them into the checker at the top of the page to see the count for each line.
Haiku about nature
Morning fog lifting
the heron's slow grey wingbeats
stitch the river shut
Spring haiku
Cherry blossoms fall
a child holds out both her hands
to catch the pink snow
Summer haiku
Cicadas buzzing
the long afternoon stretches
like soft, warm taffy
Autumn haiku
One red maple leaf
spins down to the empty bench
where we used to sit
Winter haiku
Fresh snow overnight
the whole street is a blank page
first footprints: a cat's
Love haiku
Two cups on the sill
steam rising, curling as one
your laugh from the hall
City haiku
Midnight train goes by
a hundred lit windows pass
each one a small life
Funny haiku
Monday alarm clock
I press snooze for the fourth time
the cat judges me
Haiku for kids
Rain on my red boots
I jump in each big puddle
splash, splash, one more splash
How to write a haiku in 6 steps
Writing a haiku takes a few minutes, but choosing the right words is where the craft is. Follow these steps.
- Choose one moment. Pick something small you noticed today: rain on a window, a bird on a wire, steam from a cup.
- Pick a season word. Decide what time of year it is and find a word that hints at it without naming it.
- Write freely first. Jot down the scene in a sentence or two without worrying about syllables.
- Shape it into three lines. Put the setting in line 1, the detail or action in line 2 and a surprise or contrast in line 3.
- Count and adjust. Use the checker on this page to count each line, then swap words to hit 5-7-5. Our lists of one syllable words and two syllable words help when a line is one beat off.
- Read it aloud. Cut any word that does not earn its place, especially "the", "a" and adjectives that repeat what the noun already says.
Haiku ideas to get you started
Stuck for a subject? Try one of these prompts:
- The first sound you heard this morning
- A pet doing something ordinary
- The view from a bus or train window
- Weather changing in the middle of the day
- Something in your kitchen right now
- The moon over your street
Common haiku mistakes
These slips are easy to make and easy to fix.
- Miscounting syllables. Words like "fire", "every" and "flower" can be counted two ways. Check them and choose the count that matches how you say the word.
- Telling instead of showing. "I feel lonely" tells; "one chair at the table" shows.
- Forcing a rhyme. Rhyme pulls attention away from the image.
- Writing a sentence chopped into three. Each line should add something new, and the last line should shift the view.
- Using too many ideas. One moment per haiku is enough.
Haiku vs senryu vs tanka
Two other Japanese forms look similar to haiku. This is how to tell them apart.
| Form | Lines | Syllables | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haiku | 3 | 5-7-5 (17) | Nature and the seasons |
| Senryu | 3 | 5-7-5 (17) | People, humour and everyday life, with no season word |
| Tanka | 5 | 5-7-5-7-7 (31) | Emotion and personal reflection |
The "Monday alarm clock" poem above is technically closer to a senryu, because it is about human life rather than nature. Many people still call it a haiku, and both share the same 5-7-5 format.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions about haiku.
What is a haiku in simple words?
A haiku is a very short poem from Japan with three lines of five, seven and five syllables. It usually describes one moment in nature.
How many syllables are in a haiku?
A traditional haiku has 17 syllables: five in the first line, seven in the second and five in the third.
Does a haiku have to rhyme?
No. Haiku traditionally do not rhyme. The focus is on a clear image, not on sound patterns at the ends of lines.
Does a haiku need a title?
No. Haiku are normally written without titles.
Is a haiku 5-7-5 or 7-5-7?
A haiku is 5-7-5. A poem with a 7-5-7 pattern is not a traditional haiku.
What is the most famous haiku?
Matsuo Bashō's "old pond" poem from 1686, in which a frog jumps into a still pond and the only thing left is the sound of water.
Check your haiku
Ready to write your own? Scroll back to the top and paste your three lines into the haiku checker.
For longer poems or song lyrics, use the free syllable counter, and browse our other syllable guides to keep learning.