Readability Checker

Check how easy your writing is to read, and how long it takes to read silently or out loud. Paste your text below.

Words: 0 Characters: 0 No spaces: 0 Sentences: 0 Paragraphs: 0 Reading time: 0 min Tokens (est.): 0 Speaking time: 0 min Readability:

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Check readability and speaking time

Clear writing keeps people reading. This tool scores your text with the Flesch Reading Ease formula and updates live as you type, alongside the counts you already know and two timing figures: how long the text takes to read silently, and how long it takes to say out loud.

How to read the Flesch score

The score runs from 0 to 100 and is based on how long your sentences are and how many syllables your words have. Higher is easier. Roughly: 90 and above is very easy, 80 to 89 easy, 70 to 79 fairly easy, 60 to 69 standard, 50 to 59 fairly hard, 30 to 49 difficult, and below 30 very hard. Most web writing aims for 60 or above, which is comfortable for a general audience.

Speaking time for video and podcasts

Reading time assumes about 200 words per minute, the pace of silent reading. Speaking time assumes roughly 130 words per minute, a natural narration pace. If you write scripts for YouTube, TikTok, podcasts or voice-overs, the speaking figure tells you whether your script fits the slot before you record it.

How to improve a low score

  1. Split long sentences into two — sentence length is the biggest factor.
  2. Swap long words for shorter, more common ones.
  3. Cut filler phrases that add length without meaning.
  4. Read a paragraph out loud; wherever you run out of breath, add a full stop.

Frequently asked questions

Does it work in other languages? The formula was designed for English, so scores in other languages are not meaningful. Should I always aim for the highest score? No — match your audience. Technical writing for specialists naturally scores lower. Why does it need at least ten words? Short fragments produce wild, unreliable numbers.

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Use the word counter for detailed counts, or the token counter if you are writing prompts for AI.

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