Readability Checker
Instantly check how easy your text is to read. Analyze your writing with Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index (ARI), and more—all free, instant, and privacy-friendly.
Privacy-friendly: Your text is never stored or sent—analysis happens only in your browser.
How to Check Readability of Your Writing (And Why It Matters)
Our free readability score tool helps everyone—from students polishing essays to bloggers growing their audience—instantly assess how easy their writing is to understand. With a single click, you’ll see your Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index (ARI), and key text stats. All calculations are done in your browser, so your writing stays private.
How to Interpret Readability Scores
Understanding your readability scores is essential to make your content easier to read online and reach a broader audience. Here’s what each main score means, how to interpret it, and what the numbers really imply for your readers. Use these insights to improve clarity, boost engagement, and refine your writing for any context—be it a blog post, business email, school assignment, or technical documentation.
Flesch Reading Ease
- Scores range from 0 (very hard) to 100 (very easy)
- Higher scores mean easier to read
What’s considered good?
- 90–100: Very easy (5th grade, comics, simple emails)
- 60–70: Standard/average (blogs, business writing)
- 30–59: Fairly difficult (academic, technical)
- 0–29: Very difficult (scholarly articles, legal)
Flesch-Kincaid Grade
- Indicates U.S. school grade level required to understand
- Lower scores are easier to read
Reference chart:
- 5–6: Easy (general web, plain email)
- 8–10: Ideal for business, most blogs
- 12+: Academic, technical, legal
Automated Readability Index (ARI)
- Also outputs a grade level
- Lower = easier to read
Quick guide:
- 6–8: General writing, business, blogs
- 9–12: College, advanced texts
- 14+: Legal, highly technical
Flesch Reading Ease Examples
- Simple blog post: "How to grow basil at home. Water your plant every day. Place it in sunlight."
Flesch: 90–100 (very easy) - Business email: "Please review the attached report and let me know if you have any questions. We aim to finalize the document by Friday."
Flesch: 65–75 (easy to standard) - Academic text: "The ramifications of the aforementioned policy necessitate a comprehensive evaluation of socioeconomic variables in longitudinal studies."
Flesch: 25–40 (difficult)
See how different types of writing produce different scores. Try your own text →
Example: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
- Words: 9 | Sentences: 1 | Syllables: 11
- Flesch Reading Ease ≈ 94.3 (very easy)
Short sentences and simple words score higher—making your text accessible to more readers.
Before & After: How Sentence Length and Word Choice Affect Scores
Before (Complex):
“In consideration of the multifaceted perspectives presented within the comprehensive report, it is imperative that all stakeholders collaboratively evaluate the proposed methodologies.”
- Flesch: 22 (very difficult)
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade: 15.2
After (Simplified):
“Everyone should review the report together and decide which methods work best.”
- Flesch: 73 (easy)
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade: 6.8
Making your sentences shorter and using simpler words can dramatically improve your readability scores. Learn how to make your content easier to read online.
How to Interpret Average Syllables Per Word
The average syllables per word is a key factor in readability. More syllables usually mean harder words, which can lower your Flesch Reading Ease and increase grade level. For example:
- 1.3 or less: Very easy (simple language, ideal for blogs and business writing)
- 1.4–1.6: Moderate (general web content, some business)
- 1.7+: Difficult (formal, academic, or technical)
To lower your average syllables per word, use shorter, simpler words where possible. Try the Syllable Counter tool to analyze your vocabulary.
Why Readability Matters
- Engagement: Readers are more likely to finish and act on content that’s easy to read.
- Accessibility: Clear writing supports everyone—including English learners and readers with different literacy levels.
- SEO: Google and other search engines prefer readable content for better rankings.
- Conversions: Business writing and marketing copy that’s easy to understand leads to more sales, signups, or shares.
How This Tool Calculates Results
- Sentences are detected by punctuation: ., !, ? followed by a space or end of line.
- Words are counted as sequences of letters/numbers. Contractions and hyphenated words count as one.
- Syllables are estimated for each word (e.g., “readability” has 6). Complex words or abbreviations may be slightly off, but the approach is accurate for most English writing.
- The tool uses the official Flesch and ARI formulas, ensuring your results match academic and industry standards.
What does a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 8 mean?
It means your writing is easily understood by an eighth-grade student—ideal for blogs, business emails, and most general writing.
Related Tools to Refine Your Writing:
Word Counter – Track your word count as you write.
Syllable Counter – Polish poetry, speeches, and improve readability.
Unique Word Finder – Diversify your vocabulary and avoid repetition.
Word Frequency Guide – See how often each word appears in your text.
Improving Readability – Practical tips to make your content easier to read online.
Word Counter – Track your word count as you write.
Syllable Counter – Polish poetry, speeches, and improve readability.
Unique Word Finder – Diversify your vocabulary and avoid repetition.
Word Frequency Guide – See how often each word appears in your text.
Improving Readability – Practical tips to make your content easier to read online.
What is a Good Readability Score for Blogs & Business Writing?
- Flesch Reading Ease: 60–70 or higher is ideal for most blogs, newsletters, and business sites.
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade: 8–10 is accessible to the widest audience.
- ARI: Under 10 is best for general readers; higher scores indicate more complex writing.
Want to polish your writing further? See practical tips for improving readability online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely not. This privacy-friendly readability checker runs 100% in your browser—your text is never stored, sent to a server, or shared. You can analyze essays, business reports, emails, or any sensitive content with full confidence.
Our tool uses official, industry-standard formulas (Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade, ARI) to provide highly reliable results. Automated tools follow the same math as academic grading systems. For complex or creative writing, human review can add nuance, but for most essays, blogs, and professional writing, these scores are a strong guide.
This free readability checker is ideal for students (essays, reports), teachers (lesson plans, handouts), bloggers (articles, newsletters), marketers (web content), and businesses (emails, documentation). Anyone who wants to improve their writing clarity and reach a wider audience will benefit.
For most web content, aim for a Flesch Reading Ease above 60 and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade of 8–10. This ensures your writing is accessible to a broad audience, including adults, students, and non-native speakers. Academic or technical documents may have higher grade levels, but clarity always helps readers.
Yes! Use our instant readability checker to see your scores, then edit your writing: shorten sentences, use simpler words, and break up long paragraphs. For more tips, see our Improving Readability page, or try related tools like the Syllable Counter and Unique Word Finder.
Interpreting readability scores is crucial for making your writing more effective. For most online content, blogs, and business writing, aim for a Flesch Reading Ease above 60 and a Flesch-Kincaid Grade between 8 and 10. If your score is lower (e.g., Flesch below 50 or Grade above 12), your writing may be too complex for the average reader.
Actionable advice:
Actionable advice:
- Shorten long sentences and break up dense paragraphs.
- Replace complex words with simpler alternatives.
- Monitor your average syllables per word—aim for 1.3–1.5 for general audiences.
- See our Improving Readability guide for more tips.