I would use count() if they are the same, as in my experience it is more common, and therefore will cause less developers reading your code to say "sizeof(), what is that?" and having to consult the documentation.

I think it means sizeof() does not work like it does in C (calculating the size of a datatype). It probably made this mention explicitly because PHP is written in C, and provides a lot of identically named wrappers for C functions (strlen(), printf(), etc)

Answer from alex on Stack Overflow
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PHP
php.net › manual › en › function.sizeof.php
PHP: sizeof - Manual
Instead sizeof() -as described above- is an alias for count(). Prevent misinterpretation and use count() instead. ... If your array is "huge" It is reccomended to set a variable first for this case: THIS-> $max = sizeof($huge_array); for($i ...
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › php › func_array_sizeof.asp
PHP sizeof() Function
sizeof($cars)."<br>"; echo "Recursive count: " . sizeof($cars,1); ?> Try it Yourself » · ❮ PHP Array Reference · ★ +1 · Sign in to track progress · REMOVE ADS · PLUS · SPACES · GET CERTIFIED · FOR TEACHERS · BOOTCAMPS · CONTACT US · × · If you want to use W3Schools services as an educational institution, team or enterprise, send us an e-mail: sales@w3schools.com ·
People also ask

Are sizeof() and count() the same function in PHP?
Yes, sizeof() and count() are functionally identical. sizeof() is simply an alias of count(), meaning they do the exact same thing and can be used interchangeably. Both functions help you find length of an array in php. However, for the sake of consistency and clarity, the official PHP documentation and community best practices recommend using count() to avoid confusion with the sizeof operator in other languages like C, where it relates to memory size.
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upgrad.com
upgrad.com › home › blog › software development › php array length: a complete guide to finding array length in php [with examples]
PHP Array Length: Easy Methods to Find Array Size in PHP
What is the primary function to get the PHP array length?
The primary and most recommended function to get the php array length is count(). This built-in function is specifically designed to count all the elements in an array or the properties in an object. It is straightforward, efficient, and universally understood by PHP developers. When you need to determine the number of items in any array, count() should be your first choice.  Code Example:PHP$fruits = ["Apple", "Banana", "Cherry"];$length = count($fruits);// $length is now 3
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upgrad.com
upgrad.com › home › blog › software development › php array length: a complete guide to finding array length in php [with examples]
PHP Array Length: Easy Methods to Find Array Size in PHP
What is the difference between count() and strlen() in PHP?
These functions serve completely different purposes. count() is used to find length of an array in php by counting the number of elements it contains. strlen(), on the other hand, is used to find the length of a string by counting the number of bytes it occupies (not necessarily the number of characters for multi-byte encodings). Using strlen() on an array will not give you the php array length and will likely result in an error or unexpected behavior.
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upgrad.com
upgrad.com › home › blog › software development › php array length: a complete guide to finding array length in php [with examples]
PHP Array Length: Easy Methods to Find Array Size in PHP
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ReqBin
reqbin.com › code › php › iawpnvuz › php-array-length-example
How to get the length of an array in PHP?
To get the array's length in PHP, you can use the count() and sizeof() functions that return the number of items in the array. Function sizeof() is the alias of the count() function.
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Unibo
www-db.disi.unibo.it › courses › PAW › DOCS › w3schools › php › func_array_sizeof.asp.html
PHP sizeof() Function
The sizeof() function is an alias of the count() function. ... <?php $cars=array ( "Volvo"=>array ( "XC60", "XC90" ), "BMW"=>array ( "X3", "X5" ), "Toyota"=>array ( "Highlander" ) ); echo "Normal count: " . sizeof($cars)."<br>"; echo "Recursive count: " .
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Upgrad
upgrad.com › home › blog › software development › php array length: a complete guide to finding array length in php [with examples]
PHP Array Length: Easy Methods to Find Array Size in PHP
3 weeks ago - Let’s explore these methods in detail to effectively manage array length in PHP. The sizeof() function is an alias for count() and is used to determine the number of elements in an array.
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › php › php-sizeof-function
PHP sizeof() Function - GeeksforGeeks
December 2, 2021 - The sizeof() function is a built-in function in PHP and is used to count the number of elements present in an array or any other countable object.
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › php › what-is-the-difference-between-count-and-sizeof-functions-in-php
What is the difference between count() and sizeof() functions in PHP ? - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - It is necessary to estimate the length of an array in order to perform array manipulations and modifications. The sizeof() method is used to calculate all the elements present in an array or any other countable object.
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Medium
medium.com › @jochelle.mendonca › exploring-php-count-vs-sizeof-unveiling-the-differences-a87ca9d57660
xploring PHP: Count vs. Sizeof — Unveiling the Differences | Medium
January 3, 2024 - At a glance, both count() and sizeof() may seem like twins separated at birth, but they are, in fact, aliases in PHP. That's right – they are essentially identical in functionality. You can use them interchangeably to obtain the number of elements in an array or the properties of an object.
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Medium
medium.com › @tutorialio › php-sizeof-function-tutorialio-f381e4448799
PHP sizeof() Function — Tutorialio | by Tutorialio | Medium
December 4, 2017 - PHP sizeof() Function — Tutorialio Usage — The PHP sizeof() function is used to count all elements in an array, or something in an object. It is an alias of count(). Return Value — This …
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Npopov
npopov.com › 2011 › 12 › 12 › How-big-are-PHP-arrays-really-Hint-BIG.html
How big are PHP arrays (and values) really? (Hint: BIG!)
As you can see one needs to store ... that sure needs much info). The sizes of the individual components are 8 bytes for the unsigned long, 4 bytes for the unsigned int and 7 times 8 bytes for the pointers....
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › php › php_arrays_associative.asp
PHP Associative Arrays
array() array_change_key_case() array_chunk() array_column() array_combine() array_count_values() array_diff() array_diff_assoc() array_diff_key() array_diff_uassoc() array_diff_ukey() array_fill() array_fill_keys() array_filter() array_flip() array_intersect() array_intersect_assoc() array_intersect_key() array_intersect_uassoc() array_intersect_ukey() array_key_exists() array_keys() array_map() array_merge() array_merge_recursive() array_multisort() array_pad() array_pop() array_product() array_push() array_rand() array_reduce() array_replace() array_replace_recursive() array_reverse() array
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Scaler
scaler.com › home › topics › php-tutorial › php arrays
PHP Arrays - Scaler Topics
April 13, 2024 - In PHP, an array is a data structure that can hold multiple values of different data types in a single variable. It allows for efficient storage and retrieval of data using keys or indices. Arrays can be created and manipulated using built-in functions and operators in PHP.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Machine_learning
Machine learning - Wikipedia
1 day ago - Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalize to unseen data, and thus perform tasks without being explicitly programmed. Advances in the field of deep learning ...
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › c › c_data_types_sizeof.php
C sizeof operator
Which means if you have an array of 1000 char values, it will occupy 1000 bytes (1 KB) of memory. Using the right data type for the right purpose will save memory and improve the performance of your program. You will learn more about the sizeof operator later in this tutorial, and how to use it in different scenarios.
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Pi My Life Up
pimylifeup.com › home › guide to php arrays
Guide to PHP Arrays - Pi My Life Up
November 30, 2022 - If you are using an associative array, you will need to use keys to access elements within the array. However, if you have a mix of keys and numeric indexes, you will need to use an integer to access the elements that do not use a key. In our example below, we demonstrate how to access specific elements using the key. <?php $fruit = [ "type" => "Apple", "healthy" => "Yes", "calories" => 95, "size" => "Medium", ]; echo "A " .
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › php › how-to-create-an-array-of-given-size-in-php
How to Create an Array of Given Size in PHP? - GeeksforGeeks
March 26, 2024 - This article will show you how to create an array of given size in PHP. PHP arrays are versatile data structures that can hold multiple values.