Readability Score Calculator

About this tool

This tool estimates how easy your English text is to read. It counts words, sentences and syllables, then reports the Flesch Reading Ease score (higher is easier) with a label from Very easy to Very difficult, the Flesch-Kincaid grade level (roughly a US school grade), and the Gunning Fog index with the number of complex words (three or more syllables). Syllables are estimated by counting vowel groups. A sentence ends at a period, question mark or exclamation mark followed by a space or the end of the text, and decimals like 3.50 and common abbreviations like Dr. or e.g. are not counted as endings, so results are approximate. These formulas were designed for English prose and say nothing about whether the content is accurate or well written. The calculation runs in your browser.

How to use it

1. Paste your text into the input box.
2. Read the counts, Reading Ease score and grade level in the output.
3. Shorten long sentences or long words and check again.

Example

The cat sat on the mat. It was a sunny day.

Words:     11
Sentences: 2
Syllables: 12
Flesch Reading Ease: 109 (Very easy)
Flesch–Kincaid Grade: 0

Common problems

Score looks wrong for short or odd text

The formulas need a few real sentences. Decimals and common abbreviations are handled, but URLs and unusual abbreviations still add sentence ends, and lists or headings without full stops count as one long sentence.

Score above 100 or grade 0

Very short simple sentences can score above 100 for ease, and the grade level never goes below 0.

Non-English text gives meaningless results

The syllable estimate assumes English spelling.