Readability Checker

Scores how hard an English text is to read with six standard formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman–Liau and the Automated Readability Index. Use it to check whether a text suits its readers.

How to use

1. Paste or type your text into "English text". Passages of 100 words or more give steadier scores.
2. Read the table: each index has a score and "What it means", such as a US school grade.
3. In "Your text, marked up", find long sentences and words with 3 or more syllables, and shorten them where it helps.

How it works

• Flesch Reading Ease = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words). Higher is easier. The other formulas give a US school grade, where a higher number means harder text.
• Syllables are counted by rules, not a dictionary, so a few words may be off by one. Abbreviations such as Mr. and e.g. do not end a sentence.
• The scores depend only on sentence and word length. They say nothing about the quality, accuracy or tone of the writing.
• Your text is saved in this browser and is not sent anywhere.

Questions and answers

What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?

Scores of 60 to 70 are labelled "Plain English" (US grades 8–9) on the page; 90 and above is very easy, and below 30 is difficult. The right target depends on who will read the text.

What does Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level mean?

It estimates the US school grade a reader needs to follow the text. A score of 8 means a typical eighth-grade student should understand it.

Why do the indexes give different grades?

Each formula weighs different things: Flesch–Kincaid and SMOG use syllables, Coleman–Liau and ARI use letters per word, and Gunning Fog counts complex words. Look at the range rather than one number.

How can I make my text easier to read?

Split long sentences and use shorter words where the meaning stays the same. The marked-up view shows sentences over 25 words and words with three or more syllables.