Word Highlighting for Writers & Poets | Rune

Writing is more than just words—it's rhythm, pacing, and flow. Rune's Word Counter includes a unique "Highlight every nth word" feature that helps writers and poets visualize text patterns they might otherwise miss.

What is Word Highlighting?

Word highlighting marks every nth word in your text. Enter "10" and every 10th word gets highlighted. Enter "5" and every 5th word stands out.

This creates a visual rhythm map of your writing.

Why Use Word Highlighting?

1. Check Pacing

Long stretches without highlighted words indicate long sentences. Many highlighted words close together mean short, punchy sentences. This visual pattern reveals pacing at a glance.

2. Analyze Rhythm in Poetry

Poets can set the highlight interval to match their meter or foot length, revealing repetition patterns and structural beats.

3. Find Repetition Issues

If the same highlighted word appears multiple times, you might be overusing it. This catches repetition that reading alone might miss.

4. Track Progress in Long Texts

For novels or long-form content, highlighting every 100th word creates milestones. It's motivating to see progress visually.

How to Use It

1. Open Rune's Word Counter.
2. Paste or type your text.
3. Find the "Highlight every" input field.
4. Enter a number (e.g., 10).
5. Watch highlighted words appear in your text.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Song Lyrics

A songwriter sets highlight to "8" to match their 8-beat measure. Each highlighted word should fall on a beat.

Example 2: Essay Flow

A student sets highlight to "20" to check sentence variety. If highlighted words always fall at periods, sentences are uniform. Variety suggests dynamic flow.

Example 3: Prose Pacing

A novelist sets highlight to "50" and checks whether highlighted words land on action beats. Too many on description might indicate slow pacing.

Recommended Highlight Intervals

Use Case	Suggested Interval
Poetry (short meter)	4-6 words
Poetry (long meter)	8-12 words
Prose pacing	20-30 words
Progress tracking	50-100 words
Sentence variety	10-15 words

Conclusion

Word highlighting is a simple feature with powerful applications. Whether you're analyzing poetry, checking prose rhythm, or just tracking progress, Rune's Word Counter makes it easy.