Readability Checker

What the Readability Checker checks

Readability formulas estimate how hard a text is to read from two things that are easy to count: how long the sentences are and how long the words are. The best known is the Flesch Reading Ease score, which usually falls between 0 and 100; higher means easier. Text around 60 to 70 reads as plain English, while text below 30 reads like an academic paper.

This checker fetches the page you enter, extracts its visible text and reports the Flesch Reading Ease score, the average number of words per sentence, the share of long sentences (over 25 words) and the total word count. Syllables are estimated with the usual counting rules, so the score is an approximation, like every readability score. The formula was calibrated for English: for pages in other languages the tool reports word and sentence counts but no score, because the number would be meaningless. A score of 50 or more passes; below 50 is a warning.

Why it matters

Readability is not a Google ranking factor in itself, and no search engine rewards a particular score. It matters because of what readers do. Most visitors scan a page rather than read it, many read on a phone, and many are not reading in their first language. Long sentences and dense paragraphs make them miss the point or leave, and on a product or sign-up page that shows up in conversions.

Clear text also travels further. AI assistants and search features quote short, self-contained passages that answer a question directly, and a key fact buried in the middle of a 50-word sentence is harder to lift out. See our guide to AI-readable content.

How to fix common problems

Start with the long sentences. Split those over 25 words, especially ones that join two ideas with “and”, “which” or “however”. Aim for an average of about 15 to 20 words per sentence with some variety; a page of identical short sentences reads badly too.

Prefer common words to long ones where the meaning is the same: “use” for “utilize”, “help” for “facilitate”. Keep the technical terms your readers expect, and define each one the first time it appears. Put the answer or main point first in each section, use descriptive headings, and turn lists hidden in running text into real lists.

Do not write for the score. A specialist audience can handle a lower one, and no formula can tell whether a text is accurate or useful. Use the number to find the hardest passages, read them aloud, rewrite what you stumble over, and check the page again.

Questions

What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?

For general web audiences, 60 or more reads as plain English. This tool passes a page at 50 or more. Technical documentation and legal pages often score lower, which is fine when the audience expects it.

Does readability affect Google rankings?

Not directly. Google does not use a readability score. Clearer pages tend to keep visitors and answer their questions better, which is what search engines try to reward.

Why is there no score for my page?

The Flesch formula is calibrated for English, so for pages in other languages the tool shows word and sentence counts only.

Which text is counted?

The visible text in the HTML your server returns. Text that JavaScript adds after the page loads is not counted.