Six-word story rules
The central rule is gloriously unforgiving: use exactly six countable words. Every written word and every emoji counts as one. Punctuation counts as none.
Edited by Doug Weller · Editorial standards
Published and editorially reviewed 2 August 2026
The short answer: count each written word and each emoji. Ignore punctuation. Contractions, continuous abbreviations and standard hyphenated compounds normally count as one.
Use exactly six countable words
Each written word and each emoji counts as one. Spaces do not create words, and punctuation does not change the total.
EXAMPLE“The future arrived. Nobody was home.”
6: The · future · arrived · Nobody · was · homeAn emoji counts as one word
An emoji can replace one of the six written words. Each separate emoji counts as one, including a joined emoji such as a family or profession.
EXAMPLE“Promised forever. I kept receipts. 💔”
6: Promised · forever · I · kept · receipts · 💔Punctuation counts as no words
Commas, quotation marks, brackets, dashes, colons and full stops can shape the reading, but they never add to the count.
EXAMPLE“Wait... you invited them, too? Why?”
6: Wait · you · invited · them · too · WhyA contraction counts as one word
An apostrophe does not split a normal contraction such as don’t, I’m, he’s or we’ll.
EXAMPLE“Don’t wake him. He’s finally dreaming.”
6: Don’t · wake · him · He’s · finally · dreamingA standard hyphenated compound counts as one word
Normal compounds such as long-lost and five-year-old count as one. Do not invent hyphens simply to squeeze in an extra word.
EXAMPLE“My long-lost brother forgot me again.”
6: My · long-lost · brother · forgot · me · againA number counts as one word
A numeral or a number written without spaces counts as one. A spaced number such as twenty one counts as two.
EXAMPLE“Room 8 waited. Nobody checked out.”
6: Room · 8 · waited · Nobody · checked · outCount names by their written parts
Each space-separated part of a name counts. Jane Eyre is two words; Madonna is one.
EXAMPLE“Jane Eyre texted: Rochester blocked me.”
6: Jane · Eyre · texted · Rochester · blocked · meA continuous abbreviation counts as one word
Initials and abbreviations written as one continuous unit, such as NASA, U.K. or Dr., count as one.
EXAMPLE“NASA called. Dad packed for Mars.”
6: NASA · called · Dad · packed · for · MarsDo not use punctuation to join separate words
A slash, dash or missing space cannot turn two ordinary words into one. Hyphenation should reflect normal usage, not last-minute arithmetic.
EXAMPLE“She came home, but far too late.”
7: She · came · home · but · far · too · late. The comma cannot rescue it.Keep the title outside the story
A title is not part of the six-word count and should not supply information the story needs in order to make sense.
EXAMPLE“Departure — Her suitcase stayed. She never returned.”
The six-word story is “Her suitcase stayed. She never returned.” The title merely frames it.Make the six words do something
A slogan, list or observation may contain six countable words without becoming a story. Imply an event, tension, change or discovery.
EXAMPLE“Wrong number. Right person. Forty years.”
The mistake becomes a relationship and time passes: a larger story is implied.Unconventional grammar is allowed
Dialogue, fragments, dialect and poetic syntax are welcome when deliberate and understandable. Correctness serves the story, not the other way around.
EXAMPLE“Door open. Footsteps. Mine stayed downstairs.”
The fragments create pace; the final contrast creates the threat.
Is hyphenating two words just to make them count as one cheating?
Yes. Use a hyphenated form only when it is an established compound or the natural spelling for the meaning you intend. “Long-lost” is defensible; “ran-away” invented to rescue a seven-word draft is not. The constraint should improve the writing, not reward typographical loopholes.
Can I use an ampersand instead of “and”?
You can use an ampersand, but on this site it behaves as punctuation and does not count as a word. It should be a deliberate stylistic choice, not a hidden seventh word. If the meaning depends on “and,” the cleaner editorial choice is usually to write the word and count it.
Do acronyms count as one word?
A continuous acronym such as NASA, BBC or U.S.A. counts as one word here. Separate initials divided by spaces count separately. An acronym should be recognizable to the intended reader; saving words with an unexplained private abbreviation may satisfy the counter while making the story weaker.
Can a title carry part of the story?
A title sits outside the six-word count on this site, but the story should still work when the title is hidden. A title may frame, echo or complicate the line. If it supplies the missing character, event or punchline needed for basic sense, it undermines the spirit of the form.
Can I use emojis?
Yes. Each displayed emoji counts as one word under this site’s rules, including a joined family, flag or profession emoji. An all-emoji piece can satisfy the counter, but it is not accepted as a six-word story here because the community form requires written language rather than six pictograms.
Can I use a famous character or person?
Yes, when the reference is relevant and the wording is your own. A familiar name can carry useful context quickly, but it should not replace invention or mislead readers into believing a real person said or did something factual. Count each space-separated part of the name separately.
Can I use AI?
Use AI to research general craft only if you choose, but stories submitted to this human-writing community must be written by you. AI-generated entries are not accepted for the Six Word Wonder Contest. The site’s inspiration tools combine curated prompts and constraints without generating finished stories.
Can I change one word in someone else’s story?
No. Replacing one word does not make a recognizable story original. Write from the underlying technique, theme or constraint rather than borrowing another writer’s distinctive line. Credit quotations, and read the editorial standards before publishing or entering a competition.
Final six-point check
- Exactly six countable words
- Each emoji counted as one
- Punctuation counted as none
- No invented hyphenation
- An implied event or change
- Original wording
Counted it? Now strengthen it.
A correct six-word story is only the beginning. Compare finished six-word story examples, then test the image, turn, order and final word. For a closer look at how punctuation, fragments and sentence structure shape meaning, read The Grammar of Tiny Stories.
Improve your six words →A correct word count does not guarantee publication. See the editorial standards for originality, moderation and what belongs in the collection.
Exactly six. Elegantly arranged.
Choose what your six words should do.
A story creates change. A memoir draws on lived experience. A poem puts image or sound first. A joke builds toward a comic turn.