This preset strings together six random syllables, each one of 17 consonants followed by one of 5 vowels (85 possible syllables), capitalizes the first letter and adds two random digits, for example Cohidamiseru97. That gives 6 × log2(85) + log2(100) ≈ 45.1 bits in 14 characters. Pronounceable passwords trade strength per character for ease of speaking; add syllables when the password needs to resist offline attacks.
Made to be spoken
Random passwords are hard to say. Try reading k7#Qv!2m to someone over the phone and you will spend more time on "capital Q, exclamation mark" than on the password. A pronounceable password replaces that with something closer to a made-up word: Cohidamiseru97 can be read as "co-hi-da-mi-se-ru, nine seven" and written down correctly on the first try.
The idea is old. The US government even standardized it: FIPS 181, the Automated Password Generator, was published by NIST in 1993 for agencies that needed computer-generated pronounceable passwords, and was withdrawn in 2015. Its algorithm built syllables from a set of pronunciation rules. This preset uses a much simpler, fixed pattern, which has one big advantage: every possible password is equally likely, so its strength can be stated exactly.
The rule
- Syllables: each is one consonant followed by one vowel.
- Consonants: the 17 letters b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, z. The letters q, w, x and y are not used; in this simple pattern they are awkward to say or easily misheard.
- Vowels: a, e, i, o, u.
- Possible syllables: 17 × 5 = 85, so each syllable adds log2(85) ≈ 6.41 bits.
- Count: 6 syllables by default, adjustable from 4 to 10.
- Finish: the first letter is capitalized and two random digits (00 to 99) are added at the end, adding log2(100) ≈ 6.64 bits.
- Length: always two characters per syllable plus two digits, so 14 characters at the default, from 10 up to 22.
Generate a pronounceable password
- Leave the syllable count at 6, or raise it for more strength.
- Press Generate and say the result out loud, two letters at a time.
- Press Generate again if the result accidentally spells something you would rather not say.
- Use the password and store it in your password manager.
- When you share it by voice, read the syllables, then say the two digits as a number.
How strength grows with syllables
Each syllable carries about 6.4 bits but takes two characters, so a pronounceable password holds roughly 3.2 bits per character, about half of what a fully random character from letters, digits and symbols carries. The table shows what each setting resists. It assumes an attacker who has a stolen password hash and knows exactly how this preset works. Both guess rates are assumptions. The lower, 10⁴ per second, stands for a site that stores passwords with bcrypt at a typical cost and an attacker with one current GPU. The higher, 10¹⁰ per second, is that GPU against plain SHA-256.
| Syllables | Characters | Bits | Careful site, 10⁴ guesses/s | Careless site, 10¹⁰ guesses/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 10 | 32.3 | 3 days | under a second |
| 5 | 12 | 38.7 | 257 days | 22 seconds |
| 6 | 14 | 45.1 | 60 years | 31 minutes |
| 7 | 16 | 51.5 | 5,079 years | 45 hours |
| 8 | 18 | 57.9 | 432 thousand years | 158 days |
| 9 | 20 | 64.3 | 37 million years | 37 years |
| 10 | 22 | 70.7 | 3 billion years | 3,119 years |
The default six syllables are about as strong as the three-word memorable preset: fine behind login limits, exposed if a site leaks a fast hash. For offline-attackable uses, go to nine or ten syllables, or use a different preset.
The 15-character catch
At six syllables the password is 14 characters long, one short of the 15-character minimum that NIST SP 800-63B-4 sets for passwords used as the only authentication factor. A site that follows that rule will reject it. Set the count to 7 syllables, which gives 16 characters and 51.5 bits, and the problem disappears.
Where pronounceable passwords fit
- Temporary passwords read to a user over the phone, who then changes it at first sign-in.
- Shared accounts that colleagues pass along by voice.
- Passwords that will be dictated to voice assistants, typed from a printed sheet, or spelled out in a support call.
- Situations where a memorable word-based password is too long for the field.
Where to choose something else
- Accounts your password manager fills in. Nobody needs to say those; a random 16-character password is about twice as strong per character.
- Wi-Fi and encryption. These can be attacked offline. Use the Wi-Fi preset or a long passphrase.
- Sites that demand a symbol. This format has none; the memorable preset includes hyphens.
Created locally
Syllables are assembled by the page's script inside your browser. Nothing is transmitted, logged or saved, and the result disappears when the tab is closed.
How the syllables are chosen
Each consonant, vowel and digit is drawn with crypto.getRandomValues, using rejection sampling to keep all choices equally likely. Because the pattern is fixed, different choices never produce the same password, so the 45.1-bit figure is an exact count rather than an estimate. There is no separate "one of each type" rule. The methodology page describes a network check you can run yourself.
FAQ
Are pronounceable passwords weaker than random ones?
Per character, yes, about half as strong. At equal strength they are longer. Six syllables give 45.1 bits in 14 characters; 14 fully random characters from all four types give about 87 bits.
Why are q, w, x and y missing?
In a strict consonant-then-vowel pattern they are hard to pronounce consistently or easy to mishear, which defeats the purpose of the format. Leaving them out keeps every syllable easy to say.
Can the generator produce real words?
Sometimes, by chance. A real word in the output is no weaker than any other result, because the attacker still has to search every combination. If a result spells something awkward, generate again.
Why add digits at the end?
They satisfy sites that require a number and add 6.6 bits. Saying them as a two-digit number keeps the password easy to read aloud.
How many syllables do I need?
Six for an account with login limits or a second factor, seven if the site requires 15 characters, and nine or ten if the password could be attacked offline.
Sources
- NIST CSRC: FIPS 181, Automated Password Generator (withdrawn)
- NIST SP 800-63B-4, single-factor length
- Hashcat 6.2.6 benchmark for the RTX 4090
Checked 2026-10-11.
Last updated: