Plain writing helps everyone, and it helps people with cognitive disabilities, people reading in a second language and people in a hurry most of all. Reading Level Checker measures how demanding a piece of text is.
Using it
Paste or type your text. The results update as you type.
What you get
- US Grade Level. Roughly the years of schooling needed to follow the text, using the Flesch-Kincaid formula.
- Flesch Reading Ease. A score where higher is easier, labelled from Very Easy through Standard to Very Confusing.
- Sentences, average words per sentence and average syllables per word, which are what drive both scores.
The target
WCAG 3.1.5 suggests that text more demanding than lower secondary level should have a simpler version available. The checker treats grade 9 or below as meeting it. This criterion is at WCAG's optional AAA level, so it is guidance rather than a requirement, and your compliance score does not depend on it.
AI Simplify
AI Simplify rewrites your text in plainer language, aiming for around grade 8 to 9 while keeping the meaning. The rewritten text replaces yours in the box and is measured straight away, so you can see the difference.
- It works on up to 4,000 characters at a time.
- There is a daily limit, shown under the button, and a short wait between requests.
- Always read the result before using it. It can change meaning, particularly in legal, medical or technical text.
Tips
- Check real paragraphs, not headings or lists. The formulas are built for sentences.
- Shorter sentences move the score most. Long words come second.
- Some subjects need technical words. Explain them rather than removing them.