About Passphrase Generator (EFF)

Memorable multi-word passphrases from a 300-word EFF-style list. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Generators collection.

Use Cases

• Generate a master password for a password manager
• Create strong but memorable credentials for shared accounts
• Issue fresh passphrases when rotating team secrets
• Generate throwaway VPN credentials for one-off troubleshooting

Tips

• Uses a 300-word EFF-style long list for memorability
• 4 words ≈ 32 bits of entropy — good enough for most threat models
• Add a digit and capitals for ~40 bits

Fun Facts

• xkcd #936 'correct horse battery staple' popularized passphrases. The EFF later published the modern 7776-word Diceware list used by everyone today.
• The original Diceware method (1995) used physical dice rolls to select words — 5 dice per word, giving exactly 7776 (6^5) possible words per position.
• A 6-word Diceware passphrase has ~77 bits of entropy, roughly equivalent to a 12-character random password with mixed case, digits, and symbols.

FAQ

What's the EFF list?

Electronic Frontier Foundation's word list — 7,776 carefully chosen English words, each 3–9 letters, no profanity or confusing words. Designed for dice-rolled passphrases.

How long should a passphrase be?

4 words: ~51 bits of entropy — cracks in hours to days. 6 words: ~77 bits — cracks in millennia. 6 is the practical sweet spot; 5 is marginal.

Are they easier to remember than passwords?

Yes — four random English words is easier to type and remember than 16 random characters, with comparable entropy.

Can I add digits or symbols?

Optional separators (dash, underscore, custom char) and optional capitalization give extra bits without sacrificing memorability. Adding random digits mostly adds friction, not security.