Reading Level Checker

The Flesch-Kincaid readability test is a widely used formula that estimates the US school grade level needed to understand a piece of text. It considers average sentence length and average syllables per word. A score of 8.0 means an eighth grader can understand it. Most business writing should aim for grades 7-9.

Flesch Reading Ease is a score from 0 to 100 that indicates how easy text is to read. Higher scores mean easier reading: 90-100 is very easy (5th grade), 60-70 is standard (8th-9th grade), and 0-30 is very difficult (college graduate level). Most web content should aim for 60-70.

For general web content and marketing, aim for a grade level of 7-9 (Flesch Reading Ease of 60-70). For technical documentation, grade 10-12 is acceptable. For the widest audience, keep it at grade 6-8. Newspapers typically write at a 7th-8th grade level.

Syllables are counted using standard English pronunciation rules: each vowel sound in a word counts as one syllable. Silent e's at the end of words are not counted, and consecutive vowels forming one sound (like "ea" in "read") count as one syllable. The algorithm provides an accurate approximation for most English words.

Dewx's AI assistant Dew can help you write content at any reading level, automatically adjusting complexity for your target audience. Combined with CRM data, it personalizes communication style for each contact, ensuring your messages always land effectively.