Readability Checker — Flesch Score + CEFR / IELTS Level
Paste your English and get its Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade level, and an estimated CEFR and IELTS band — so you can see how hard your writing is to read.
What the readability scores mean
Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to 100 — higher is easier. A score of 60–70 is plain, clear English that most readers handle comfortably; below 30 reads like dense academic or legal prose. Flesch-Kincaid Grade translates the same calculation into a US school grade: a grade of 8 means an average 13-to-14-year-old could follow it. Both are driven by just two things — average sentence length and average syllables per word — which is why shorter sentences and plainer words move the score the most.
How the CEFR and IELTS estimate works
The CEFR (A1–C2) and IELTS band shown here are estimates mapped from readability, not an official assessment. They answer a useful question for non-native writers: «roughly what level does my writing read at?» Clear B2-level writing often scores higher on Reading Ease than tangled C1 attempts, because real fluency in English usually means simpler, not more complicated, sentences. Use the estimate to spot text that has drifted too dense — not as a substitute for a real exam score.
Why clarity beats complexity
Many non-native writers raise the difficulty of their English on purpose, assuming long words and long sentences signal competence. In English the opposite reads as more fluent: native professional writing tends to sit in the 50–70 Reading Ease range. If your score is very low, you are probably not sounding more advanced — you are sounding harder to read. Shorten the longest sentences first, then swap a few of the longest words, and watch the score climb.
Checking readability in Word and Google Docs
Microsoft Word ships a Flesch-Kincaid calculator, but it is hidden and off by default: open File → Options → Proofing, tick «Show readability statistics», then run a spelling and grammar check — the scores appear only when that check finishes. Google Docs has nothing equivalent built in.
Two limits are worth knowing. Word reports Reading Ease and grade level and stops there, so it tells you a number but not what to do about it, and it gives you no CEFR or IELTS reference — the scales that actually matter if you are writing for an exam or an admissions committee. It also scores the whole document at once, which hides the one dense paragraph dragging the rest down. Pasting a section at a time here scores exactly the part you are worried about.
Take it further with Diglot
This free tool runs in your browser. When you want to act on what it shows — fix the grammar, tighten the phrasing, or make your English read like a native wrote it — that is what Diglot is built for. The free tier is meaningful for daily writing, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a readability score?
- A readability score estimates how much effort a text takes to read, from sentence length and word length. The two standard measures are Flesch Reading Ease (0-100, higher is easier) and Flesch-Kincaid grade level (the US school grade needed to follow it). They measure structural difficulty only — a text can score as easy and still be badly argued.
- Can I check readability in Microsoft Word?
- Yes. File → Options → Proofing, tick «Show readability statistics», then run a spelling and grammar check; the scores show up at the end. Google Docs has no built-in equivalent. Word gives you Reading Ease and grade level for the whole document, with no CEFR or IELTS reference and no way to score a single paragraph.
- What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
- For general and professional writing, aim for 50–70 (plain, clear English). Marketing and blog copy often targets 60–80. Academic writing legitimately runs lower (30–50), but below 30 most readers struggle — even specialists.
- Is the CEFR / IELTS level accurate?
- It is an estimate derived from readability formulas, not a graded assessment. It is useful for seeing roughly how difficult your writing reads and whether it has become too dense, but it cannot replace an official CEFR placement or IELTS exam.
- Does a higher reading level mean better writing?
- No — usually the reverse. In English, clear, fluent writing tends to score as easier to read, not harder. A very low Reading Ease score normally signals sentences that are too long or vocabulary that is needlessly complex, not advanced skill.
- How can I make my text more readable?
- Split your longest sentences, replace a few long words with shorter ones, and cut filler. Sentence length is the biggest single factor, so breaking 40-word sentences into two is the fastest way to raise the score.
