Readability Score Checker
Paste any text to instantly get your Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and Gunning Fog Index scores, plus word count, sentence stats, and tips to improve clarity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Flesch Reading Ease?
Flesch Reading Ease (0–100) measures how easy text is to read. Higher scores mean easier reading: 90–100 is very easy (5th grade), 60–70 is standard (8th–9th grade), and below 30 is very difficult (college graduate level). Most general web content should target a score of 60–70.
What does the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level mean?
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level corresponds to a US school grade level. A score of 8 means an 8th grader can understand it. Most online content targets grade 7–9 for broad accessibility. Academic papers are typically grade 12+.
What is the Gunning Fog Index?
The Gunning Fog Index estimates the years of formal education needed to understand the text on the first reading. A score of 8 means 8th grade level. Scores above 17 are considered "virtually unreadable" for general audiences. Most popular magazines target a score of 8–10.
What readability score should I aim for?
For general blog posts and articles: Flesch Reading Ease 60–70, FK Grade 7–9. For technical documentation: grade 10–12 is acceptable. For children's content: ease score above 80. Marketing copy and emails should aim for ease score 70+ to maximise comprehension.
How accurate is the syllable counting?
The syllable counter uses a heuristic algorithm based on vowel groups, which is approximately 80–90% accurate for English text. Uncommon words, proper nouns, and technical terms may be miscounted. The overall readability score is still a useful directional indicator.