Check the readability of any text with our free readability score checker. Calculates Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, and SMOG Index. Useful for writers, educators, content marketers, and anyone who wants to ensure their writing is clear and accessible to their target audience.
Flesch Reading Ease scores range from 0 to 100. Higher scores mean easier to read. 90–100: Very easy (Grade 5 level); 70–80: Easy (Grade 7); 60–70: Standard (Grade 8–9); 50–60: Fairly difficult (Grade 10–12); 30–50: Difficult (college level); 0–30: Very difficult (professional/academic). Most web content aims for 60–70.
For general public communication in Canada, aim for a Grade 6–8 reading level (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level 6–8). Government of Canada plain language guidelines recommend writing at a Grade 8 level or lower for public-facing content. News articles typically target Grade 8–10.
The Gunning Fog Index estimates the years of formal education needed to understand a text on first reading. A score of 8 means an 8th-grade education is sufficient. Scores above 17 are considered very difficult. Most business writing should aim for a Fog Index of 10–12.