Why random words work
Each word chosen at random from 7,776 adds about 12.9 bits of randomness. Five words plus a number gives about 71 bits, and six words about 84. What matters is that the words are chosen at random, not by you, because the words people pick themselves are far easier to guess.
Good uses for a passphrase
- Your password manager's master password. See how to make one.
- Your computer login and your email account.
- Wi-Fi passwords that guests have to type.
Credit
Words come from the Electronic Frontier Foundation's large word list, published under a Creative Commons Attribution licence.