Readability Score Checker
Check the readability of your writing with Flesch Reading Ease and grade-level scores.
Measure how easy your writing is to read. This tool computes the Flesch Reading Ease score and an approximate US grade level, then reports average sentence and word length so you know exactly what's making a passage hard. It's useful for web copy, marketing, and anything you want a wide audience to understand — including text drafted with AI.
Understanding the scores
The Flesch Reading Ease score runs from 0 to 100 — higher is easier. Above 60 is comfortable for a general audience; below 30 reads like dense academic or legal prose. The grade level estimates the US school grade needed to follow the text on a first read. Most web writing aims for a grade level around 7–9, which stays clear without feeling simplistic.
How to raise your score
Readability comes down to two things the formulas care about: sentence length and word length. To read more easily, shorten sentences — split anything running past 20-odd words — and prefer shorter words where a plain one exists. Cutting jargon and breaking long paragraphs helps too. Make an edit and rescore to see the number move.
Editing for a clearer score
The formulas care about two things: how long your sentences are and how many syllables your words carry. So the fastest way to raise readability is to split long sentences at their natural joints and swap a few multi-syllable words for plainer ones. Breaking dense paragraphs, cutting jargon, and preferring active voice all help too. Make one change, rescore, and you'll see the number respond — a tight feedback loop that's far more useful than editing blind.
Readability and AI-assisted writing
Text drafted with an AI assistant often reads a grade or two higher than you intend — longer sentences, more abstract vocabulary. Running a draft through a readability check is a quick way to catch that drift before publishing. Aim for a Reading Ease around 60 or higher for a general audience; technical or academic readers tolerate lower scores. The goal isn't to dumb writing down, but to make sure the reader you're actually writing for can follow it easily.
How to bring a readability score down
If your text scores harder to read than you want, three edits do most of the work. First, shorten sentences — split anything running past about 20 words at its natural comma or conjunction. Second, swap long words for short ones where meaning allows: use for utilize, help for facilitate. Third, cut throat-clearing phrases like "it is important to note that." Readability formulas reward shorter words and sentences because both reduce the effort of parsing. The goal isn't to dumb writing down; it's to remove friction so the reader spends attention on your ideas, not your syntax.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
For general web content, aim for 60 or above, which most adults find easy to read. Technical audiences tolerate lower scores; a broad consumer audience benefits from higher ones.
What grade level should I target?
Around 7th to 9th grade suits most online writing — clear and accessible without sounding oversimplified. Legal or academic writing naturally scores higher.
How is the score calculated?
From average sentence length (words per sentence) and average word length (syllables per word). Longer sentences and words lower the ease score and raise the grade level.
Is a higher Flesch score always better?
Not universally. Very high scores can feel simplistic for expert audiences. Match the target to your reader: broad consumer content benefits from 60+, while specialist writing naturally scores lower.
Last updated: 2026-01-15