Free Readability Checker
Get your Flesch reading ease, grade level and five other readability scores, plus the long sentences that make your text hard to read.
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Runs in your browser. Your text isn't uploaded or stored.
How to use the free readability checker
- 01
Paste at least a few sentences of text.
- 02
Read the Flesch reading ease score and grade level.
- 03
Shorten the long sentences listed and swap complex words for simpler ones, then check again.
What is a good readability score?
On the Flesch reading ease scale (0–100), 60–70 is plain English that most adults read comfortably. Most popular websites score 60 or higher; academic papers often score below 30. Grade-level scores like Flesch-Kincaid estimate the US school grade needed to follow the text: aim for 7–9 for a general audience.
Readability isn't a direct Google ranking factor, but readers who understand you stay longer and act. Short sentences, common words and one idea per paragraph do most of the work.
Flesch reading ease scores explained
| Score | Reading level | Typical of |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy (age 11) | Children's books, comics |
| 80–89 | Easy | Consumer marketing, chat |
| 70–79 | Fairly easy | Popular blogs, magazines |
| 60–69 | Plain English (age 13–15) | Most good web content |
| 50–59 | Fairly difficult | Quality newspapers |
| 30–49 | Difficult (college) | Academic and legal writing |
| 0–29 | Very difficult (graduate) | Scientific papers, contracts |
Tips for using the readability checker
Shorten sentences first
Sentence length moves the score more than anything else. Split every sentence over 25 words and the score usually jumps 10–20 points.
Swap long words for short ones
"Use" instead of "utilize", "help" instead of "facilitate". Fewer syllables per word makes text easier to read.
One idea per paragraph
Online readers scan. Paragraphs of two to four sentences, each making one point, are easier to follow.
Use the active voice
Active sentences are shorter and clearer. The passive voice checker finds the sentences to rewrite.
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Readability Checker FAQ
Which readability formula is best?
Flesch reading ease is the most widely used and the one Yoast and Microsoft Word report. The others (Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman-Liau, ARI) weigh sentence length and word complexity differently; when they agree, you can trust the result.
Does it work for languages other than English?
The formulas were built for English. For other languages the scores are a rough guide only.
What counts as a long sentence?
More than 25 words. A few are fine; if more than a quarter of your sentences are that long, readers will struggle.
What readability score should a blog post have?
Aim for a Flesch reading ease of 60 or higher and a grade level of 7–9 for a general audience.
Does readability affect SEO?
Not directly. But readers who understand your page stay longer and act, and Google's helpful content guidance favors clear writing.
Why do the formulas give different grades?
Each formula weighs sentence length and word complexity differently. If most agree, trust that range.
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