Readability Checker — Flesch Score + Estimated 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.
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 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.
