The scores, explained
Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to about 100; higher is easier. It penalises long sentences and long words. The ring shows this score, coloured green from 60 up.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade turns the same inputs into a school grade level. Grade 8 means a typical 13–14 year old could follow it. Gunning Fog estimates the years of education needed based on sentence length and the share of words with three or more syllables. SMOG uses polysyllabic words per 30 sentences and is popular for health and public information. For most web copy, aim for grade 8–10 across all three.
We also estimate passive voice (forms like “was approved by”), list sentences longer than 25 words, and surface the long words that drive your scores up. Syllables are counted with heuristics, so expect small differences from other tools; the direction of change is what matters as you edit.
When you check a URL, we analyse the main content area and ignore navigation, footers, headings and short list items, which would otherwise skew the results.
How to make writing easier to read
- Split long sentences at “and”, “which” and “because”. One idea per sentence.
- Prefer short, common words: “use” over “utilise”, “help” over “facilitate”, “buy” over “purchase”.
- Write actively: “Our team ships orders in 24 hours” beats “Orders are shipped within 24 hours by our team”.
- Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences on mobile, and use subheadings and lists to break up walls of text.
- Explain jargon the first time you use it — especially for audiences reading in their second or third language.
- Put the answer first. Readers and AI engines both reward content that resolves the question immediately.
Readability pairs well with keyword focus — check your phrasing with the keyword density checker.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
60–70 is plain English that most adults read comfortably, and it's a good target for websites. Scores above 70 are easy and conversational; below 50 is fairly difficult and suits only specialist audiences.
Does readability affect SEO?
It's not a direct ranking factor, but readable content keeps people on the page, earns more links and is easier for AI engines to quote accurately. Clear writing tends to win on every metric that does matter.
Why do the formulas give different grades?
Each formula weights things differently: Flesch-Kincaid uses syllables per word, Gunning Fog counts complex words, and SMOG focuses on polysyllables per sentence. Look at the trend across them rather than any single number.