Reading level checker
Free reading level checker. Find the reading grade level of any web page with the Automated Readability Index and Flesch–Kincaid, scored against the plain language standard.
About readability scan
Plain language helps people find answers fast. This scan loads a page and finds its main text. It scores that text with two formulas: the Automated Readability Index (ARI) and Flesch-Kincaid. A page passes at grade 8 or below. Strong content teams aim for grade 6. The scan is free, needs no signup, and shows results on this page.
Method
The scan uses the public equations for the Automated Readability Index (ARI) and the Flesch–Kincaid readability tests. ARI counts characters, words, and sentences. Flesch–Kincaid also counts syllables. The scan reviews the page and pulls out the main content. Some parts of a page, like headings, have no punctuation. The scan adds a period to the end of each one, so the formulas grade all the content fairly.
About readability
Readability measures how easy text is to understand. It looks at words and layout. Formulas like Flesch-Kincaid and ARI guess a reading grade. ARI uses letters per word and words per sentence to give a U.S. school grade. Grade 8 means eighth grade. Simple words, short sentences, clear design, and easy fonts help people read.
Why it matters
People get what they need the first time, without calling or visiting. Short sentences and common words help every reader. That includes people who read in a second language and people in a hurry.
What grade to aim for
Grade 8 is a common goal for a general audience. It is the level ScanGov scores against. Teams with strong plain language habits aim for grade 6. Aim for 6 on the pages people need most, like applying, paying, and reporting. Use 8 as the lowest bar.
The formulas measure only word and sentence length. So the quickest wins are simple ones. Write one idea per sentence. Pick common words over formal ones. Put the action first. Use headings and lists in place of long paragraphs. The federal plain language guidelines and digital.gov plain language tips have more.
What the scan checks
The readability standard looks at the main text of a page. It skips menus and boilerplate. Then it runs two public formulas: ARI and Flesch-Kincaid. A page passes when its ARI rounds to grade 8 or below.
Readability is its own indicator. ScanGov scores it next to accessibility, botability, security, and usability. Plain language work shows up as its own grade. This scan uses the same formulas and pass rule as the ScanGov scan. It also shows the exact text it scored.
Track it over time
Rewriting many pages takes months. To see progress, measure every page, again and again. The ScanGov monitoring product scans every page. Its readability section lists pages above the target grade. Your team can work through the list, watch it shrink, and catch new text that slips.
Guidance
- Readability: ScanGov readability standards and guidance
- Readability standard
- Automated Readability Index
- Flesch-Kincaid
Frequently asked questions
What reading grade should web content be?
ScanGov passes a page when its ARI rounds to grade 8 or below. Grade 8 is a common goal for a general audience. Teams with strong plain language habits aim for grade 6. Use 8 as the lowest bar. Use 6 as the goal for key pages, forms, and instructions.
What is the difference between ARI and Flesch-Kincaid?
Both guess the U.S. school grade a reader needs. ARI counts letters per word and words per sentence. Flesch-Kincaid counts syllables per word and words per sentence. They usually land within one grade of each other. ScanGov records both and scores pass or fail on ARI. See the ARI and Flesch-Kincaid standards for the formulas.
Does readability count toward accessibility?
Yes. Hard text shuts out many people. That includes people with learning disabilities, people with low literacy, and people who read in a second language. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 has a reading level rule, 3.1.5. It asks for a lower secondary reading level, or a simpler option, at Level AAA.
How does this scan pick the text to score?
It loads the page and finds the main text. It drops menus, scripts, and boilerplate. It adds a period to headings and short fragments so the formulas count them fairly. The "content" part of the result shows the exact text it scored. It cannot read pages that block automated tools.
Why does a homepage score differently from an article page?
Homepages are mostly links, labels, and short fragments. Those score low. Long pages with real sentences test your writing better. Check the pages people read most, like permits, payments, notices, and instructions.
Does ScanGov check a whole site?
Yes. This scan checks one page. The ScanGov monitoring product scans every page of a site. Its readability section lists pages above the target grade. A content team can work through them and measure each rewrite.
How often is readability scored again?
ScanGov scans monitored sites on the plan's schedule. After each scan, the readability section lists every page above the target grade. A content team can measure each rewrite page by page.
Indicator
Readability
Write content at a reading level most users can understand.
Features
Readability
Find the pages that are hard to read and set a reading level for your team.
News
New ScanGov readability scanner
Helping web managers evaluate content readability.