Readability Checker (Flesch-Kincaid)
Score how easy your text is to read: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman-Liau and ARI.
How to use
- 1Paste at least a few sentences of text.
- 2Read the scores — higher Reading Ease and lower grade levels mean easier text.
How it's calculated
Flesch Reading Ease = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words/sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables/words). Flesch-Kincaid Grade = 0.39 × (words/sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables/words) − 15.59. Gunning Fog = 0.4 × (words/sentences + 100 × complex words/words), where complex words have 3+ syllables. Syllables are estimated from vowel groups, which is accurate for most English words.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
60–70 is plain English that most adults read easily. 30 or below is very difficult (academic or legal text); 90+ is very easy.
What does the Flesch-Kincaid grade mean?
It estimates the US school grade needed to understand the text. Grade 8 means a typical 13–14 year old can follow it.
Why do different formulas disagree?
Each weighs sentence length, word length and syllables differently. Look at them together rather than trusting one number.