What the Five Scores Mean
Flesch Reading Ease (0–100, higher = easier) is the classic: 60–70 is plain English and the sweet spot for websites, blogs and marketing. The other four report a US school grade level — the years of education a reader needs. Flesch-Kincaid weighs syllables per word and sentence length; Gunning Fog and SMOG punish "complex" words of three or more syllables (SMOG is the standard in healthcare writing); ARI uses character counts, making it the most typo-sensitive of the group.
For general audiences, aim for grade 7–9 and Flesch 60+ — news wires write at about grade 8, and most top-ranking pages land between Flesch 55 and 75. The fastest fixes are always the same: split long sentences (over 25 words), swap three-syllable words for short ones ("utilize" → "use"), and prefer active voice. Pair this tool with the Word Counter for length targets and the Text Diff Checker to compare drafts before and after editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
60–70 is plain English and ideal for web and marketing content; 70–80 suits mass-market copy; below 30 is very difficult. Most top-ranking pages score 55–75.
What grade level should I target?
Grade 7–9 for general audiences — news agencies write around grade 8, and the average adult reads comfortably at that level. Every grade above 9 loses casual readers.
How are the scores calculated?
From counts of sentences, words and syllables (ARI uses characters). Syllables are estimated with a standard vowel-group heuristic, so scores are close estimates rather than exact — the same is true of every readability tool.
Does readability affect SEO?
Indirectly: clearer writing improves engagement signals and wins more featured snippets, since simple sentences are easier for Google to extract. Readable content also earns more shares and links.
Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No — all analysis happens in your browser. Drafts and private documents are never sent, stored or logged.