This readability checker measures how easy your text is to read with two formulas, Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. Both are based on the average sentence length and the average number of syllables per word, and the results panel shows those figures along with the word, sentence and syllable counts and a few tips. The text is analyzed in your browser.
Google's guidance on helpful content does not mention readability scores. It does ask whether a page is well produced and free of spelling or stylistic issues. Use the score as a writing aid: shorter sentences and plainer words make a page easier to follow, which matters more than reaching a particular number.
How to use the readability checker
- Paste the text you want to check into the input box. Keep the full stops in: sentences are counted by . ! and ?, so a list of headings without punctuation counts as one long sentence.
- Click Analyze Readability to calculate both scores.
- Read the Flesch Reading Ease score in the ring and its label, such as Standard or Fairly Easy. 60 or more counts as plain English that most adults read easily.
- Check the FK Grade Level card, the US school grade a reader needs to follow the text comfortably, and the average words per sentence.
- Shorten long sentences, replace complex words with simpler ones and test again until you reach your target. Clear resets the box.
The Flesch-Kincaid formulas behind the readability score
Flesch Reading Ease = 206.835 - 1.015 * (words / sentences) - 84.6 * (syllables / words)
Flesch-Kincaid Grade = 0.39 * (words / sentences) + 11.8 * (syllables / words) - 15.59The tool keeps Reading Ease between 0 and 100 and never lets the grade fall below 0. The FK Grade Level card rounds to a whole grade, while the summary sentence under the cards gives one decimal place.
| Reading Ease | Label | Best understood by |
|---|---|---|
| 90 or more | Very Easy | Around grade 5 |
| 80 to 89 | Easy | Around grade 6 |
| 70 to 79 | Fairly Easy | Around grade 7 |
| 60 to 69 | Standard | Grades 8 to 9 |
| 50 to 59 | Fairly Difficult | Grades 10 to 12 |
| 30 to 49 | Difficult | College-level readers |
| Below 30 | Very Difficult | College graduates and specialists |
Readability test example: one sentence rewritten
Here is one sentence from an office memo, run through the readability checker before and after a rewrite.
Before: "Our new billing system will be introduced across all departments in the next financial quarter, and all employees are required to familiarise themselves with the updated procedures before the implementation date."
After: "We are moving to a new billing system next quarter. Every team will use it. Please read the new steps before the start date."
| Figure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Words / sentences | 31 / 1 | 24 / 3 |
| Syllables per word | 1.81 | 1.29 |
| Flesch Reading Ease | 23 (Very Difficult) | 89 (Easy) |
| Flesch-Kincaid grade | 17.8 | 2.8 |
Splitting the sentence did most of the work, and swapping "implementation date" for "start date" cut the syllable count. The second version says the same thing in 7 fewer words.
How words, sentences and syllables are counted
- The readability checker treats anything separated by spaces as a word, so "e-mail" and "3.5" each count as one.
- A sentence is any run of text ending in a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Decimals and abbreviations add false breaks: "Prices rose 3.5 percent, e.g. rent and food." counts as 4 sentences and scores 100.
- Text with no end punctuation at all counts as one sentence.
- Syllables are estimated from groups of vowels. Words of three letters or fewer count as one syllable, and endings such as a silent e are dropped first, so some words come out a syllable high or low.
What readability checker grade level to aim for
The tool's tips suggest grade 6 to 8 for general web content and note when a text goes past grade 12. A specialist audience can handle more, but long sentences slow every reader down; the tips flag an average above 25 words per sentence.
To tidy the wording itself, run the text through the AI grammar checker, and use the word counter for length and reading time. The guide on editing AI content so it sounds human covers rewriting stiff drafts, and how to estimate reading time pairs well with a readability check. Both checkers belong to the site's SEO tools.
