Check the reading level and complexity of your text.
Paste your text into the box and click Analyse. Three readability scores are calculated instantly, along with a breakdown of the metrics they're based on.
Scores text from 0 to 100. Higher scores mean easier to read. Most web content targets 60–70. Academic writing typically scores 30–50. A score above 70 is appropriate for general audiences; below 30 is very difficult.
| Score | Reading level |
|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy — 5th grade |
| 70–90 | Easy — 6th grade |
| 60–70 | Standard — 7th–8th grade |
| 50–60 | Fairly difficult — 9th–10th grade |
| 30–50 | Difficult — college level |
| 0–30 | Very difficult — professional/academic |
Outputs a US school grade level. Grade 8 means the text is appropriate for an average 8th grader. Most general-audience web content should target Grade 6–8.
Estimates the years of formal education needed to understand the text on first reading. A score of 12 corresponds to high school graduation level. Most business writing targets 10–12; technical documentation can reach 15+.
All calculations run locally in your browser. No text is sent to a server.
For general web content, aim for 60 to 70 — plain English easily read by most adults. Above 80 suits children's material and very simple copy; 30 to 50 is normal for academic writing. If your score is below target, shorten sentences and swap long words for short ones.
Most professional guidance targets grade 6 to 8 for general audiences — newspapers famously write around grade 9 or below. That is not about talking down to readers: lower grade levels are read faster and understood more reliably even by experts. Specialist and academic audiences tolerate grade 12 and above.
The Fog Index is 0.4 times the sum of the average sentence length and the percentage of complex words — words of three or more syllables, excluding proper nouns and common suffixed forms. The result approximates the years of schooling a reader needs to understand the text on first reading.