Paste text to get six standard readability scores (Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman-Liau and ARI), average sentence and word length, and a list of sentences over 25 words.
How to check readability
- Paste your article, email or essay.
- Read the Flesch Reading Ease score: 60–70 is plain English.
- Shorten the long sentences listed below the scores and check again.
Flesch Reading Ease scale
| Score | Difficulty | Reading level |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy | 5th grade |
| 70–80 | Fairly easy | 7th grade |
| 60–70 | Plain English | 8th–9th grade |
| 50–60 | Fairly difficult | 10th–12th grade |
| 30–50 | Difficult | College |
| 0–30 | Very difficult | Graduate |
For websites and marketing, aim for 60 or higher. Shorter sentences and everyday words raise the score fastest.
Does readability affect SEO?
Readability is not a direct Google ranking factor, but clear writing keeps visitors reading, answers questions directly and is easier for search engines and AI assistants to quote.
Frequently asked questions
Do the scores work for other languages?
The formulas were designed for English. Scores for other languages are rough guides only.
Updated October 2026 · Built and tested by Sharjeel Tahir · How our tools are tested