How to make a passphrase
- Choose how many Words. Six is a strong default; use more for a password manager's master password.
- Pick what goes Between words, and whether to add Capitals and a number, which many sites require.
- Copy one you like. Click “Generate again” for a fresh set.
How passphrases work
A passphrase is a password made of several random words, like Garden-Silver-Pencil42-Morning-Harbour-Lamp. Because each word is drawn at random from a long list, the number of possible passphrases is enormous, but the result is still something you can picture, remember and type without mistakes.
The idea is often called diceware, after a method where you roll dice to pick words from a printed list. This page does the same with your browser’s secure random generator instead of dice.
How many words?
| Words | With a number | Roughly as strong as |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | about 52 bits | an 8 character random password |
| 5 | about 64 bits | a 10 character random password |
| 6 | about 75 bits | an 11 to 12 character random password |
| 8 | about 97 bits | a 15 character random password |
Four words are fine where a site limits wrong guesses, like a phone unlock. Use six or more for anything that could be attacked offline, such as an encrypted file or a password manager. For a random string of characters instead, use the password generator, and test any password with the password strength checker.