π Readability Checker
Analyze text readability using 5 established formulas.
π 100% client-side processing
Readability Checker scores your text with five established formulas β Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, SMOG, and the Automated Readability Index. Paste a draft and instantly see how hard it is to read. It is made for content writers, editors, teachers, and SEO specialists who need their words to land with real readers.
How to Use
- Enter text: Paste or type your draft into the input box.
- View scores: All five readability scores update instantly as you type.
- Check level: See the estimated reading level and US school grade for your text.
Features
- Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
- Gunning Fog Index
- SMOG Index
- Automated Readability Index
- Live word, sentence, and syllable counts behind the scores
How the Formulas Work
Nearly every readability formula is built on two measurements: average sentence length and average word length, usually counted in syllables. Long sentences force readers to hold more in working memory, and long words tend to be less familiar. Flesch Reading Ease combines both into a 0-100 score where higher is easier β 60 to 70 reads comfortably for most adults. Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level maps the same ingredients to US school grades, so a score of 8 means an eighth-grader can follow it.
Gunning Fog counts βcomplexβ words of three or more syllables, while SMOG focuses entirely on polysyllabic words, which makes it a favorite in healthcare, where patient materials must be verified as readable. The scores disagree with each other sometimes β that is normal. Treat them as a dashboard rather than a verdict, and remember the real fix is almost always the same: shorter sentences and simpler words.
Use Cases
- Checking blog posts and landing pages before publishing
- Simplifying legal, medical, or instructional documents
- Meeting plain-language guidelines β many governments require grade 6-8
- Tuning content for SEO, since readable pages keep visitors longer
- Reviewing student writing assignments
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good readability score?
Flesch-Kincaid 60-70 is ideal for general audiences. Higher scores mean easier to read.
What grade level should I target?
Grade 8-10 for general web content. Lower is better for wider accessibility.
How much text do I need for accurate scores?
At least 100-200 words. Very short samples produce unreliable scores because the formulas depend on averages.
Which score should I focus on?
For web content, Flesch Reading Ease is the most widely used; pair it with a grade-level score for the full picture.