Readability Score Analyzer
Optimize your writing for general web audiences. Assess reading ease scores, grade levels, and highlight multi-syllabic jargon before publishing.
6th grade level. Clear conversational English.
US School Grade Level
Years of Education
Character-based Grade
Gobbledygook metric
Structural Text Analytics
Understanding Readability Formulas & Web Accessibility Standards
The Flesch Reading Ease Formula
Developed by Rudolf Flesch in 1948, the Reading Ease metric tests two primary linguistic factors: average sentence length (ASL) and average syllables per word (ASW):
Score = 206.835 - (1.015 × ASL) - (84.6 × ASW)
- 90 – 100: Very Easy (5th grade). Conversational and effortless.
- 60 – 70: Standard Plain English (8th–9th grade). Recommended target for digital products, marketing websites, and news outlets.
- 0 – 30: Very Confusing (College Graduate). Characteristic of legal disclaimers and academic research dissertations.
Gunning Fog & Complex Words
The Gunning Fog Index specifically evaluates "hard words" containing 3 or more syllables:
Fog = 0.4 × [ (Words / Sentences) + 100 × (Complex Words / Words) ]
A Fog score of 12 represents a high school senior reading level. Texts aimed at universal consumer comprehension (such as BBC News, The New York Times, and Time Magazine) deliberately maintain Fog levels between 8 and 10.
Why Target 8th-Grade Reading Level for Web Content?
Writing at an 8th-grade level does not mean dumbing down ideas; it means removing linguistic friction. Users on mobile devices and busy executives scan content in under 15 seconds. Clear sentences with active voice, concise vocabulary, and logical transitions improve conversion rates, lower bounce rates, and comply with WCAG 2.2 accessibility guidelines for cognitive readability.