Readability Score Checker

Paste your text
—
Flesch Reading Ease
0–100 · higher = easier
—
Flesch-Kincaid Grade
US school grade level
—
Gunning Fog Index
Years of education needed
—
SMOG Index
Grade level (3+ sentences)
—
Coleman-Liau Index
Grade level by characters
—
Automated Readability
Grade level (ARI)
Paste at least a few sentences to see scores

Free Readability Score Checker

Paste any text and get six readability scores instantly: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, SMOG Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index. Results update in real time as you type. No account, no data sent to any server.

What is a readability score?

A readability score is a numerical measure of how easy or difficult a piece of text is to understand. Readability formulas analyse factors such as average sentence length, average word length (in syllables or characters), and the proportion of complex multi-syllable words. The resulting score maps to a reading level — typically a US school grade or a simple easy-to-hard scale.

Which readability formula should I use?

The Flesch Reading Ease score (0–100) is the most widely used and cited. Aim for 60–70 for general web content. The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is the most recognised grade-level measure, used by the US Department of Defense for readability standards. The Gunning Fog Index is popular in journalism and business writing. SMOG is preferred in healthcare communication research. Use the average across formulas for a reliable overall picture.

Readability score targets by audience

General blog posts and news articles: Flesch Reading Ease 60–70, Grade 7–9. Marketing copy and landing pages: Ease 70+, Grade 6–8. Healthcare patient materials: Ease 60+, Grade 6. Legal and academic writing: Grade 12+. Children's content: Ease 80+, Grade 3–5. The right target always depends on your specific reader.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Flesch Reading Ease score?
A 0–100 scale where higher scores mean easier reading. 90–100 is very easy (5th grade), 60–70 is standard (8th–9th grade), 0–30 is very difficult (university graduate). Most general web content targets 60–70.
What does Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level mean?
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level maps text to a US school grade. A score of 8 means a typical 8th grader can read it. Most popular newspapers target grade 7–8. Academic papers often score 12–16.
What is a good Gunning Fog score?
A Gunning Fog score of 10 or below is ideal for most business and web writing. The Wall Street Journal targets around 11. Scores above 17 are considered graduate-level and too complex for a general audience.
How many sentences do I need for accurate results?
Most formulas require at least 3–5 sentences. The SMOG index is most accurate with 30 or more sentences. For best results paste a full paragraph or more.
Does this tool save my text?
No. All analysis happens in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server or stored anywhere.