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Analyze your content's readability with Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and other industry-standard metrics. Write content your audience can understand.
Enter at least a few sentences to get accurate readability scores and recommendations.
The most widely used readability test. Scores range from 0-100, with higher scores indicating easier reading.
Translates reading ease into a U.S. grade level. A score of 8 means an 8th grader can understand the text.
Most web content should target grade levels 6-8 for maximum reach. Academic content may require higher levels.
Estimates years of formal education needed to understand text. Emphasizes complex words (3+ syllables).
A fog index of 12 requires a high school senior reading level. Aim for 8-10 for general audiences.
"Simple Measure of Gobbledygook" - considered more accurate for healthcare and consumer-facing content.
Best used with 30+ sentences. Healthcare content often targets a SMOG score of 6-8.
The fastest way to improve readability is to shorten your sentences. Long, multi-clause sentences force readers to hold too much information in working memory, which leads to re-reading and higher bounce rates. Break compound sentences into two or three shorter ones wherever possible. Replacing jargon and technical terminology with simpler alternatives also makes a significant difference without sacrificing accuracy.
Formatting plays an equally important role. Use subheadings to break content into scannable sections, include bulleted lists for key points, and keep paragraphs to three or four sentences at most. Web readers tend to scan rather than read linearly, so structuring your content for quick comprehension helps keep visitors engaged longer and improves overall page performance metrics.
The Readability Checker analyzes your text against multiple industry-standard readability formulas and returns detailed scores that indicate how easy your content is to understand. It calculates the Flesch Reading Ease score, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, SMOG Index, Coleman-Liau Index, and Automated Readability Index all at once. Along with these scores, you get a word count, sentence count, average words per sentence, complex word percentage, and an estimated reading time. The tool also provides specific recommendations for improving your content based on the areas where your scores fall short.
Paste your text into the input area or type directly into it. The checker processes your content instantly and displays all readability metrics in a clear dashboard layout. Each score includes an explanation of what it means and where your text falls on the difficulty spectrum, from very easy to very difficult. Review the improvement suggestions at the bottom to identify specific changes you can make, such as shortening sentences, replacing complex vocabulary, or breaking up long paragraphs. Re-paste your revised text to see how your scores improve with each round of editing.
Content readability directly affects how well your audience engages with your message. Studies show that the average American adult reads at an 8th-grade level, yet much online content is written at a college level or higher. When visitors struggle to understand your writing, they leave quickly, increasing your bounce rate and reducing time on page, both of which are user engagement signals that search engines factor into rankings. For marketing content specifically, simpler writing converts better because readers can quickly grasp your value proposition and take action. Running every piece of content through a readability check before publishing ensures you are communicating clearly and accessibly to the widest possible audience.