Lorem Ipsum Generator
Placeholder text by the paragraph, sentence or word β classic or modern.
About this generator
Produce as much placeholder text as a mockup needs: paragraphs, sentences, individual
words or list items. Choose classic Latin, or two modern alternatives when the Latin looks
out of place. Tick the HTML option and it comes wrapped in <p> or
<ul> tags ready to paste into a template.
By default the first paragraph opens with the traditional "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elitβ¦", because that opening is what makes placeholder text instantly recognisable as placeholder text.
Where Lorem Ipsum came from
It is not gibberish. It is scrambled Latin from Cicero's De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, written in 45 BC β a passage about the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. The familiar text begins mid-word: "Lorem" is the tail of dolorem, from Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit ametβ¦
It has been used by typesetters since at least the 1500s and spread through the design world in the 1960s on Letraset sheets, then in desktop publishing software. It survives because it works: it has the letter distribution and word-length rhythm of real prose without carrying any meaning to distract from the layout.
Why use placeholder text at all
The point is to judge a design without reading it. Real copy pulls attention to the words; repeated "text text text" produces unnatural spacing that hides real layout problems. Latin sits in between β it looks like language, so line lengths, paragraph rhythm and hierarchy all behave normally, while nobody is tempted to edit the wording.
One caution worth taking seriously: placeholder text has an unfortunate habit of shipping to production. Search any major news site for "lorem ipsum" and you will find live pages that forgot to swap it out. If you use it, keep a note of where.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lorem Ipsum mean?
It is scrambled Latin from Cicero, written in 45 BC, about pleasure and pain. The text begins mid-word β "Lorem" is the second half of "dolorem" β which is why it has no coherent meaning as printed.
Why do designers use Lorem Ipsum?
So the layout can be judged without the words competing for attention. It has the rhythm and letter distribution of real prose, so spacing and line breaks behave naturally, but carries no meaning to read.
Can I generate placeholder text with HTML tags?
Yes β tick the HTML option and paragraphs come wrapped in <p> tags, or list items in a <ul>, ready to paste straight into a template.
Is there an alternative to Latin placeholder text?
Two are included here for when Latin looks wrong in context β a hipster flavour and a corporate-tech one. They read as nonsense in English, which keeps the point of placeholder text intact while fitting the tone of the mockup.