How to use the Readability Checker
- Paste your landing page, blog post or email copy.
- Check the reading ease score and grade level.
- Shorten the highlighted sentences until you hit your target.
Why readability is a marketing metric
Visitors skim. Copy that's easy to read keeps them on the page longer, and more of them reach your call to action. Experts read plain language faster too. For most marketing pages, aim for a Flesch Reading Ease score above 60, which is about an 8th-grade level.
How to read the scores
- Flesch Reading Ease (0–100): higher is easier. 60–70 is plain English, and 30 or below reads like a legal contract.
- Flesch-Kincaid grade: the US school grade needed to follow the text. Aim for 8 or lower.
- Long sentences: anything over 25 words is worth splitting.
- Passive voice: "the report was sent" hides who did it. "We sent the report" is clearer.
Then check your copy still covers its topic with the keyword density checker, and score your headline with the headline analyzer.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Flesch reading score?
60 or higher for marketing pages and emails. Technical docs can go lower, but shorter sentences help every audience.
Does readability affect Google rankings?
Not as a direct ranking factor. But clear writing helps people find answers quickly, which is what Google's helpful content guidance rewards.
How accurate is the syllable count?
It uses the standard English rules for counting syllables, which are right for most words. Scores can be off by a few points, so watch the trend as you edit rather than a single number.
Does it work for languages other than English?
The formulas are built for English. Other languages will get a score, but it won't mean much.