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Readability Checker

Check text readability with the Flesch reading ease score, grade level and the long sentences to fix.

  • Free
  • No sign-up
  • Runs in your browser

Paste plain text. Headings and list items on their own line count as sentences. Up to 200,000 characters.

–Reading ease –Reading level –Grade level –Gunning Fog index –SMOG index –Coleman–Liau index –Automated Readability Index –Words –Sentences –Syllables –Words per sentence –Syllables per word –Complex words (3+ syllables) –Reading time (minutes)

Results update as you type

Longest sentences to simplify

    Reading ease runs from 0 (very hard) to 100 (very easy); aim for 60 or more on most web pages. English uses Flesch and Flesch–Kincaid, Spanish Szigriszt-Pazos and Crawford, French Kandel and Moles, German Flesch-Amstad and the Wiener Sachtextformel. Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman–Liau and ARI are English formulas. Syllables are estimated from spelling. Everything runs in your browser.

    Need a word, character or sentence count? Use the Word Counter.

    How to use Readability Checker

    1. Paste the text you want to checkPaste or type the article, email, essay or page copy you want to test. Put headings and list items on their own lines so they count as separate sentences.
    2. Choose the text languageEnglish uses the Flesch reading ease and Flesch–Kincaid grade level; Spanish, French and German use formulas made for those languages. The page language is preselected.
    3. Read the score and fix long sentencesCheck the reading ease, reading level and grade level, then work through the longest sentences listed below the scores. The results update as you edit, so you can see the score rise.

    Common uses

    • Test blog posts and landing pages before you publish them
    • Bring school essays, reports and emails to the right reading level
    • Find the long, heavy sentences that make a text hard to follow

    Frequently asked questions

    How do I use Readability Checker?

    1. Paste the text you want to check: Paste or type the article, email, essay or page copy you want to test. Put headings and list items on their own lines so they count as separate sentences. 2. Choose the text language: English uses the Flesch reading ease and Flesch–Kincaid grade level; Spanish, French and German use formulas made for those languages. The page language is preselected. 3. Read the score and fix long sentences: Check the reading ease, reading level and grade level, then work through the longest sentences listed below the scores. The results update as you edit, so you can see the score rise.

    What is a good readability score?

    On the Flesch reading ease scale, 60 to 70 is plain English that most adults read easily, and 70 or more is easy. Most web pages, emails and marketing copy should aim for 60 or higher. Legal, academic and technical texts often score between 30 and 50, which is hard work for general readers.

    How is the Flesch reading ease score calculated?

    Flesch reading ease = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words). Shorter sentences and shorter words raise the score. The checker shows the counts and the working, so you can repeat the calculation yourself.

    What does the Flesch–Kincaid grade level mean?

    It estimates the US school grade a reader needs to understand the text: 8 means an eighth-grade student, about 13 to 14 years old, can follow it. It uses the same counts as the reading ease score: 0.39 × words per sentence + 11.8 × syllables per word − 15.59.

    Does the readability test work for Spanish, French and German?

    Yes. Choose the text language and the checker switches formula: Szigriszt-Pazos with the INFLESZ scale and the Crawford grade for Spanish, Kandel and Moles for French, and Flesch-Amstad with the Wiener Sachtextformel for German. Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman–Liau and ARI are only shown for English.

    Why do readability checkers give different scores?

    Every tool counts syllables and sentences slightly differently. Syllables are estimated from spelling, and abbreviations, numbers, headings and lists can change the sentence count. Use one checker consistently, and compare versions of your own text rather than chasing an exact number.

    Is my text sent anywhere?

    No. The readability score is calculated in your browser and your text is never sent to GigaTools, so you can safely check drafts, unpublished articles and private emails.