How to use Readability Checker
- Paste your text: a few paragraphs give the most reliable readability score.
- Read the Flesch Reading Ease score. Higher is easier; 60 to 70 is plain English.
- Compare the grade levels from the other formulas: Flesch–Kincaid, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman–Liau and the Automated Readability Index.
- Shorten the longest sentences listed, and watch the scores change as you edit.
Why use Readability Checker
Six formulas
Flesch Reading Ease, the Flesch–Kincaid grade, the Gunning Fog index, SMOG, Coleman–Liau and the Automated Readability Index, side by side.
Plain words
Each score comes with what it means, such as “Plain English” or “Grade 8”, and the age of readers it suits: a reading level checker in plain language.
What to fix
The longest sentences are listed, since long sentences lower readability more than anything else.
Live as you edit
Scores update as you type, so you can see each change help. Your text stays in your browser.
About this tool
Readability formulas estimate how hard a text is from two things: how long its sentences are and how long its words are. The Flesch Reading Ease test, published by Rudolf Flesch in 1948, scores text from 0 to 100, where higher is easier: 60 to 70 is plain English that most 13 to 15-year-olds can read, and below 30 suits university graduates. The Flesch–Kincaid grade level turns the same measures into a US school grade, and Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman–Liau and the Automated Readability Index each estimate the grade in their own way.
Use the scores as a guide, not a rule: no readability test can tell whether your ideas are clear or your words familiar to your readers. The quickest improvements are shorter sentences and shorter everyday words, and the checker lists sentences of 20 words or more to start with. The formulas were made for English, so scores for Arabic, Urdu or other languages mean little; count those with the word counter instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
60 to 70 is plain English, easy for most adults. Aim for 60 or more when writing for the public; 30 or below is very hard to read, like many academic papers.
What does the Flesch–Kincaid grade level mean?
The US school grade a reader needs to understand the text: grade 8 suits most 13 to 14-year-olds. Many plain-language guides aim for grade 8 or below.
How do I make my writing easier to read?
Use shorter sentences (15 to 20 words on average) and shorter, everyday words. Split the longest sentences listed by the checker first.
Why do the formulas give different grades?
Each weighs sentence length and word length differently: Gunning Fog and SMOG count long words, Coleman–Liau counts letters. Look at where most of them agree.
Does it work for Arabic or Urdu?
No. The formulas count English syllables and were tested on English text. Use the word counter for Arabic and Urdu text.