About the Readability Checker
Readability scores estimate how hard a text is from sentence length and word length. They are a quick check that your writing suits its audience, whether that is a lab report or a speech for your class.
How to use it
- Paste at least a few sentences.
- Read the Flesch Reading Ease score and grade level.
- Look at "Long sentences" and split any over 25 words.
The formula
Reading Ease = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)
Grade level = 0.39 × (words ÷ sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words) − 15.59
Worked examples
Scores to aim for
60 to 70 is plain English, readable by most 13 to 15 year olds. Academic papers often score 30 to 50.
Frequently asked questions
Is a higher score better?
Higher means easier to read. Whether that is better depends on your readers.
How are syllables counted?
With a vowel-group rule that is accurate for most English words. Unusual words can be off by one.
Why is my grade level so high?
Usually long sentences. Splitting them helps more than swapping words.