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Readability Checker

Analyze readability with Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and Coleman-Liau scores.

Paste something. We'll check it.

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How to Use the Readability Checker

Paste your text in the box above and click Analyze. You'll get four readability scores plus word and sentence statistics. More text gives more accurate results. A few sentences work, but a full article is better.

The scores measure different things. Flesch Reading Ease gives a 0-100 score where higher means easier. The other three estimate a U.S. grade level. For web content, aim for a Flesch score above 60 (8th-9th grade). Most popular online content sits between 60 and 70.

What Are Readability Scores?

Readability formulas estimate how hard a piece of text is to read. They use measurable properties: sentence length, word length, syllable count. Shorter sentences and simpler words score as more readable. None of them measure meaning, logic, or whether the writing is actually good.

Flesch Reading Ease is the most widely cited. It was developed by Rudolf Flesch in 1948. A score of 60-70 matches plain English. Scores below 30 are academic or legal writing. Scores above 90 are easily understood by an 11-year-old.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level converts the same inputs into a U.S. school grade. A score of 8.0 means an 8th grader can understand it. Most newspapers write at an 8th-grade level.

Gunning Fog Index adds complexity by weighting words with three or more syllables. It tends to rate text higher than Flesch-Kincaid because long words get penalized more heavily.

Coleman-Liau Index uses letter count instead of syllable count. It's faster to compute and avoids the ambiguity of syllable counting rules. Results correlate closely with Flesch-Kincaid.

What readability score should I target for SEO? +
There's no magic number. Google doesn't use readability scores as a ranking factor. But content that's easier to read keeps visitors on the page longer, reduces bounce rates, and gets shared more. For most web content, a Flesch Reading Ease score between 60-70 is a good target. Technical content aimed at experts can go lower.
Why do the four scores give different grade levels? +
Each formula weights factors differently. Gunning Fog penalizes long words more heavily, so it usually gives higher grade levels. Coleman-Liau counts letters instead of syllables, which changes results for words with silent letters or unusual spellings. Use Flesch-Kincaid as your primary reference and treat the others as cross-checks.
Are readability scores accurate for non-English text? +
No. All four formulas were calibrated for English. They rely on English syllable patterns, word lengths, and sentence structures. Using them on German, French, or other languages gives misleading results. Language-specific readability formulas exist for many languages, but this tool only supports English.