diff --git a/wp-includes/comment-template.php b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
index b3b1e2e781..bb7c3afadd 100644
--- a/wp-includes/comment-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
@@ -713,18 +713,31 @@ function get_comments_number( $post_id = 0 ) {
  * @param string $deprecated Not used.
  */
 function comments_number( $zero = false, $one = false, $more = false, $deprecated = '' ) {
-	if ( !empty( $deprecated ) )
+	if ( ! empty( $deprecated ) ) {
 		_deprecated_argument( __FUNCTION__, '1.3' );
+	}
+	echo get_comments_number_text( $zero, $one, $more );
+}
 
+/**
+ * Display the language string for the number of comments the current post has.
+ *
+ * @since 4.0.0
+ *
+ * @param string $zero Optional. Text for no comments. Default false.
+ * @param string $one  Optional. Text for one comment. Default false.
+ * @param string $more Optional. Text for more than one comment. Default false.
+ */
+function get_comments_number_text( $zero = false, $one = false, $more = false ) {
 	$number = get_comments_number();
 
-	if ( $number > 1 )
-		$output = str_replace('%', number_format_i18n($number), ( false === $more ) ? __('% Comments') : $more);
-	elseif ( $number == 0 )
-		$output = ( false === $zero ) ? __('No Comments') : $zero;
-	else // must be one
-		$output = ( false === $one ) ? __('1 Comment') : $one;
-
+	if ( $number > 1 ) {
+		$output = str_replace( '%', number_format_i18n( $number ), ( false === $more ) ? __( '% Comments' ) : $more );
+	} elseif ( $number == 0 ) {
+		$output = ( false === $zero ) ? __( 'No Comments' ) : $zero;
+	} else { // must be one
+		$output = ( false === $one ) ? __( '1 Comment' ) : $one;
+	}
 	/**
 	 * Filter the comments count for display.
 	 *
@@ -736,7 +749,7 @@ function comments_number( $zero = false, $one = false, $more = false, $deprecate
 	 *                       is equal to 0, 1, or 1+.
 	 * @param int    $number The number of post comments.
 	 */
-	echo apply_filters( 'comments_number', $output, $number );
+	return apply_filters( 'comments_number', $output, $number );
 }
 
 /**