Readability Checker
Paste your text to get its Flesch Reading Ease score, its Flesch-Kincaid grade level and its Coleman-Liau index, along with word and sentence statistics and a list of the sentences that run long. Nothing is uploaded, and the result updates as you type.
With under 100 words the scores swing a lot, because a single long word or sentence moves them. Treat them as a rough guide.
- 28 wordsNotwithstanding considerable organizational complexity, the committee unanimously recommended comprehensive institutional reconsideration of administrative responsibilities, which, given the circumstances, seemed reasonable to everyone present at the meeting that afternoon.
The formulas are the published ones. Syllables are counted by rules for English, not looked up in a dictionary, so a score can be a little off and other tools may differ by a point or two.
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SEO & MarketingAbout the Readability Checker
Readability formulas turn the length of sentences and words into a score. Flesch Reading Ease is 206.835 minus 1.015 times the average words per sentence, minus 84.6 times the average syllables per word. Higher is easier: 60 to 70 is plain English for 13 to 15 year olds, 30 to 50 is college level, and below 30 is very difficult. The Flesch-Kincaid grade level is 0.39 times the words per sentence plus 11.8 times the syllables per word, minus 15.59, and gives a U.S. school grade. The Coleman-Liau index uses letters instead of syllables: 0.0588 times the letters per 100 words, minus 0.296 times the sentences per 100 words, minus 15.8. The three often disagree by a grade or two, which is normal. The tool splits sentences on full stops, question marks and exclamation marks while skipping common abbreviations, decimals and initials, and treats a blank line as a break. Syllables are counted with rules for English, not looked up, so the figure is an estimate: in our own tests the counter was right for roughly 8 or 9 words in 10 on fresh test lists, and a wrong count is usually off by one. A number counts as one syllable. These scores measure sentence and word length only. They cannot judge clarity, accuracy, tone or structure, and very short texts of under 100 words give unstable scores. Use the long-sentence list to see where to cut first, and treat the scores as a guide to the writing, not a goal in themselves.
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?▾
For general audiences, 60 to 70 is plain English that most adults follow easily. Scores of 70 and above read as easy, and below 50 reads as difficult. The right target depends on your readers and topic.
Why do the three scores differ?▾
Each formula weighs the same text differently. Flesch scores use syllables, and Coleman-Liau uses letters. They usually land within a grade or two of each other, and a bigger gap can come from unusual vocabulary.
How accurate is the syllable count?▾
It is an estimate based on English spelling rules, not a dictionary, so some words are off by one. Over a whole text the errors partly cancel, but expect other tools to differ by a point or two.
Do readability scores measure quality?▾
No. They measure the length of words and sentences. A text can score as easy and still be unclear, and a technical text can score as hard and still be well written for its readers.