Password Examples by Length: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15+ Characters (2026)

Strong password examples for every length requirement — from 6-character minimums to 15+ character fortress passwords. Find examples, compare strength ratings, and generate your own.

Every service has different password length requirements — some allow as few as 6 characters, while others demand 8, 10, or more. But meeting the minimum is not the same as being secure. This guide provides password examples by length, shows you exactly how long each takes to crack, and helps you choose the right length for every account.

1. Why Password Length Matters

Password length is the single most important factor in password security. Here's why:

• Each additional character multiplies the number of possible combinations exponentially
• A password with mixed character types (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols) has roughly 95 possible characters per position
• An 8-character password has 95⁸ = 6.6 quadrillion combinations
• A 16-character password has 95¹⁶ = 44 septillion combinations — 6.6 billion times more

Length beats complexity every time. A 16-character lowercase-only password is stronger than an 8-character password with every character type. But combining length and complexity gives you the best protection.

2. How Long It Takes to Crack Each Length

These estimates assume a brute-force attack using modern hardware capable of 100 billion guesses per second against a properly hashed password, with all four character types (95 possible characters per position):

These times assume truly random passwords. Dictionary words, patterns, or personal information can be cracked far faster regardless of length.

3. 6-Character Password Examples

Some older services and PINs still only require 6-character passwords. These meet the minimum but provide minimal security. Do not use these for important accounts.

4. 8-Character Password Examples

Eight characters is the most common minimum requirement across services like Apple ID, Google, Facebook, and most banking apps. Here are strong 8-character password examples that maximise security within this length constraint.

While these 8-character password examples are far better than common passwords like Password1, they can still be cracked within hours to days by determined attackers. If your service allows longer passwords, always go longer. Use our password strength checker to test yours.

5. 10-Character Password Examples

Ten-character passwords offer a meaningful step up from the 8-character minimum. Some services, particularly banking and enterprise platforms, require 10 characters as a minimum.

At 10 characters, brute-force cracking takes months to years. This is acceptable for low-risk accounts but not sufficient for email, banking, or your primary Apple/Google account.

6. 12-Character Password Examples

Twelve characters is where passwords start becoming genuinely strong. Many security professionals consider 12 characters the new minimum for any important account.

A random 12-character password with mixed character types would take thousands of years to brute-force. This is a solid choice for most personal accounts. For your most critical accounts (email, banking, Apple ID), consider going to 16+.

7. 14-Character Password Examples

Fourteen-character passwords provide very strong security suitable for important accounts like email, cloud storage, and social media.

At 14 characters, a brute-force attack would take millions of years. 14-character passwords are an excellent choice for email accounts, cloud storage, and financial services.

8. 15-Character Password Examples

Some enterprise services and security-conscious platforms specifically require 15-character passwords. Here are examples that exceed all common requirements.

A random 15-character password is effectively uncrackable through brute force. The only realistic threats are phishing, keylogging, or data breaches — which is why you should never reuse passwords and always store them in a password manager.

9. 20+ Character Password Examples

For maximum security — banking, primary email, Apple ID, or enterprise accounts — use 20+ character passwords. These are fortress-level passwords that no brute-force attack can touch.

These are published examples — do not use them directly. Generate your own unique password.

At this length, the only way to remember your password is with a password manager. That's not a drawback — it's the entire point. You should only ever need to remember one master password.

10. Which Length Should You Use?

Here's a practical guide to choosing password length based on the type of account:

The simplest approach: use 16+ characters for everything and store them all in a password manager. You'll never need to remember any of them except your master password.

11. Generate a Password of Any Length

Instead of copying examples from the internet (which hackers can also find), generate a unique password of any length:

Our Strong Password Generator lets you choose your exact length and character types. Generate 8-character minimums for restrictive services or 20+ character fortress passwords for your critical accounts. Then use our password complexity checker to verify the strength.

12. How to Store Long Passwords

The longer your password, the less likely you are to remember it — and that's fine. Here are your storage options, ranked:

A dedicated password manager like NordPass encrypts your passwords with XChaCha20 encryption and works across all your devices — iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, and browser extensions. It also generates strong passwords of any length automatically, so you never have to think about character counts again.

13. Frequently Asked Questions

Need a password for a specific service? Check out our Apple ID Password Generator, Google Password Generator, or browse our full password generator directory.