Easy text
"The cat sat on the mat. It was happy." has 2 sentences, 9 words and 10 syllables: a reading ease of 108.3, very easy.
Readability Checker
Score how easy your English text is to read: Flesch reading ease, grade level and Gunning fog.
English text: a paragraph or more gives the most reliable score.
Readability
Paste some text to score it.
Runs in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server.
How the Readability Checker works
Paste English text and the checker counts its sentences, words and syllables, then applies three standard readability formulas. The scores update as you type.
Syllables are counted with the usual rules of thumb for English (groups of vowels, a silent final e, and so on), so a few words are counted one off. Every readability tool works this way, and over a paragraph the errors even out. Use the scores to compare drafts, not as an exact measure.
Formulas
Flesch reading ease
206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)
Higher is easier. 60–70 is plain English; below 30 is very difficult. Very short, simple text can score above 100.
Flesch–Kincaid grade level
0.39 × (words ÷ sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words) − 15.59
The US school grade a reader needs.
Gunning fog index
0.4 × (words ÷ sentences + 100 × complex words ÷ words)
Complex words have three or more syllables. The result is the years of schooling needed to understand the text on first reading.
Examples
Hard text
A single 17-word sentence full of words such as "readability", "difficult" and "complexity" scores below 30: very difficult, typical of academic writing. Splitting it into two sentences and using shorter words raises the score quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What score should I aim for?
For websites and general readers, 60 or higher (grade 8–9). Guidance from public-sector writing guides is similar: most adults read most comfortably at that level, whatever their education.
Does it work for other languages?
No. The formulas and the syllable rules were made for English; other languages have their own formulas.
Why is my grade level below 1?
The formula can go below zero for very short, simple sentences. It simply means the text is very easy.
Is my text uploaded?
No. It is analysed in your browser.
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