How much time have you wasted writing a content piece only to rewrite it later because your intended reader could not comprehend it?
I bet it’s more than you remember.
Readability is one of the critical aspects of creating good content. It helps you increase your engagement rate and convince your readers to take action.
Readability is how easily a reader can read, understand and get the message from your content. A good readability score indicates your content is easy for readers to understand. The higher the score, the more readable your content will be.
Readability is usually calculated by using a readability checker tool. The tool will analyze your paragraph or text and give you a score.
Plenty of AI-powered readability checkers can help you ensure your content is easy to read and comprehend.
Popular readability checker options include Grammarly, Readable.io, and Hemingway with each one offering different features.
After checking out 25+ readability checkers, I have shortlisted 10 tools so you can pick the best one for your needs. All of them come with a free version, so you can try them before buying.
Before we dive into the list, let’s talk about the readability score.
What is a readability score, and how is it calculated?
The readability score measures how easy content is to read, understand, and comprehend. A high score indicates easy comprehension, whereas a low score indicates difficulty.
A good readability score depends on the purpose of the text and the reader’s age. Generally, a score of 6-7 is considered good based on the readability model you are using.
The most commonly used scores are:
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
This is considered the best and most popular formula to determine the readability score. Many tools in this list are based on this model.
The score is calculated based on the average number of syllables per word and the average number of words per sentence. The score is presented on a scale from 1-100, with 100 being the easiest to read and 1 being the most difficult.
It is commonly used to evaluate the complexity of a document and identify areas for improvement.
If the Flesch Kincaid text level is 6, the reader needs to be able to read at a grade 6 level or higher to understand it.
Gunning-Fog Index
The Gunning Fog Index is a tool for measuring the readability of written content. It was created by Robert Gunning, an American businessman, in 1944. The Gunning Fog Index is based on sentence length and the number of words with three or more syllables.
The Gunning Fog Index score is determined by measuring the average number of words per sentence and the average number of syllables per word. The higher the score, the more difficult the material is to read.
It grades the readability of a text on a scale from 0 to 20. The lower the Gunning Fog Index, the easier it is to read.
Coleman-Liau Index
The Coleman-Liau Index is based on the average number of letters in a word and the average number of words in a sentence. The resulting number is then rounded to the nearest whole number, providing a readability score. The higher the score, the more readable the text is.
If you’re writing for the general public, aim for grades 8 to 10.
The SMOG Index
The SMOG Index readability score measures how difficult a text is to understand. It is calculated by counting the number of polysyllabic words (words with three or more syllables) in a text sample of 30 sentences and then estimating the educational level required to understand it.
The score is commonly used to assess the readability of health materials, such as patient education materials and medication leaflets.
It also indicates how many years of education a person must have to understand a text.
List of AI-powered readability checkers to take your writing to the next level
There are many AI-powered readability checker tools available. You can use these readability checkers to determine your content’s clarity and readability.
In addition to basic grammar and spelling checkers, they analyze sentences, vocabulary, and readability scores to ensure your writing is easy to read and understand.
After trying 25+ tools, I have found these 10 readability checkers that do a great job of providing readability scores.
Each one offers unique features so you can pick the best one for your needs and budget.
1. Hemingway
Hemingway is the best free readability checker to help ensure your content is easy to read and understand.
The Hemingway editor gives you a readability score based on the Flesh-Kincaid readability formula.
It shows when you use passive voice, long sentences, too many adverbs, and complex words.
Hemingway lets you edit your content in the Editor itself, and you can see your readability score changing in real time.
And the best part? All these features are free to use and don’t even require creating an account.
Limitations of Hemingway Editor:
- Doesn’t work offline
- Doesn’t highlight grammar or spelling errors
- Can make your content robotic and dull.
Pricing
Free.
Try this tool to write like Ernest Hemingway and make your content easy to understand.
2. Readable
Teams use readable at big companies like Netflix, Shopify, and Harvard University. It’s trusted by over 3000 authors, marketers, and teachers from all around the world.
Its readability score is based on Flesh Reading Ease and the Gunning Fog Index. Readable also shares issues such as how many complex words and sentences you have used.
In one of my content pieces, Readable found 5 complex words with 12+ letters and 3 adverb count issues. However, it also replaces hard words and shares reading and speaking time.
Readable also has a Chrome extension to check your content from anywhere.
You can also customize the look and feel of the report by selecting the font, font size, and color scheme that best fits your brand. This way, you can ensure that your reports look professional and consistent with your branding.
Additionally, Readable offers integration with Dropbox and Slack, making it easy to use across different platforms.
Limitations of Readable:
- Website scoring and readability API are only available on higher plans.
- The UI can be confusing for beginners.
Pricing
Readable has a 7-days free trial, and the paid plan starts from $8/month or $4 if you go annually.
If you want to add one more user to the plan, you can do it for $5/month and upgrade/downgrade your plan anytime.
Readable is an excellent choice if you want your content to be clear and easy to comprehend.
Get started with Readable for free.
3. Grammarly
I am sure you must be using Grammarly regularly, if not daily.
I know I have an extension ready to help me fix my goof-ups on every platform I write.
And it can also help check the content for readability with suggestions.
Grammarly uses a Flesch-Kincaid readability score to measure how easy it is for a reader to understand your content.
Additionally, it provides average word length and sentence length, so you don’t write too long or short sentences. It also offers suggestions and replacements for overused words, common grammatical mistakes, and more.
You can also download your performance report in PDF and share it with your colleagues for feedback.
Grammarly is an excellent choice to ensure your content is easy to read and understand.
Limitations of Grammarly:
- Its readability score is limited to the Flesch-Kincaid score.
- Doesn’t provide comprehensive feedback on the readability of your content.
Pricing
Grammarly’s free version provides basic functionality, a Chrome extension, and a readability score.
You will need to upgrade to the premium version to access more advanced features. The premium version starts around $12/month, with discounts available if you pay for multiple months upfront.
4. Copywritely
Copywritely is an AI-powered readability checker that helps ensure your content is easy to read and understand. It uses a combination of Flesch-Kincaid and Gunning-Fog readability scores to measure the readability of your content.
It also checks for spelling and grammar errors, suggests synonyms to replace words, and uses natural language processing to identify complex words.
Copywritely also provides feedback on how to improve the readability of your content. It will highlight sentences that are too long or too short, words that are difficult to understand, and the number of redundant phrases. It also checks the uniqueness of the content.
If you just want to get the readability score and grammar suggestions, Copywritely isn’t for you. You can get these features for free with other tools.
Copywritely works well as an all-rounded SEO tool that offers many SEO features, including SERP analysis, article rewriting, keyword density checker, and more.
So, it’s up to you what exactly you are looking for.
Limitations of Copywritely:
- Can be slow and unresponsive at times
- Readability metrics are limited.
Pricing
Copywritely is a paid-only tool. The plans start from $29/month for 50 pages and go up to $1250/month for 5000 pages. So, the more pages you analyze, the lower the cost per page.
There is also a free trial available that lets you test 5 pages
Try out Copywritely for free here.
5. WebFX
WebFX offers a free readability checker that quickly evaluates the readability of text using the Flesch-Kincaid readability score. It also provides grade-level metrics using 5 indicators: Flesch Kincaid, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman Liau, and Automated Readability Index.
The tool is simple to use, and you can get a readability score in seconds. You can check your competitors’ or any other website’s content by simply entering the live URL.
It also offers metrics, such as the number of complex words, average words per sentence, and total word count.
However, it doesn’t provide any feedback on improving readability, so you would need a different tool for suggestions on sentence length, passive voice, and complex words.
It’s ideal for people who need a quick readability check.
Limitations of WebFX:
- Doesn’t check for grammar and spelling errors.
- Readability metrics are limited.
Pricing
WebFX Readability Test is free to use.
If you want a quick readability check with a few metrics, WebFX is an ideal option for you.
6. ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is a powerful AI-powered grammar checker tool like Grammarly.
It offers a range of features to help you create clear, easy-to-read content. It provides a readability score using Flesch Reading Ease. It shows readability grades on Flesch-Kincaid, Coleman-Liau, and Automated Readability Index to measure how easy it is to read your content.
It also checks for grammar and spelling errors, suggests synonyms, and flags phrases that can be rewritten more precisely.
The tool also provides feedback on sentence length, redundancy, and complexity, as well as helpful suggestions on improving readability and making your content easier to understand.
Limitations of ProWritingAid:
- The free version has limited features
- Only checks 500 words at a time
Pricing
ProWritingAid has a free version that provides basic functionality and a premium version that starts at $13/month. The premium version offers more advanced features, including sentence length analysis and readability score.
If you’re looking for a readability checker that provides comprehensive feedback and suggestions on improving your content, ProwritingAid is an excellent choice.
7. StoryToolz
StoryToolz checks your content for readability, grammar, and spelling errors. It provides a readability score based on all the critical reading levels.
StoryToolz also provides an AI-powered analysis of your content, including sentence length, word count, and keyword density. However, it doesn’t offer suggestions to make your content easier to understand, such as replacing hard words with simpler ones and reducing the number of complex sentences.
It can let you check 50k characters at a time. It’s a free forever tool that can give you a high-level understanding of your content’s readability.
Limitations of StoryToolz:
- Limited feedback on how to improve readability
- No customization options for the readability score
Pricing
StoryToolz is free to use.
8. Perry Marshal
The Perry Marshal is a free, AI-powered readability checker designed to help you create easy-to-read content. It uses the Flesch Reading Ease formula to measure the readability of your content.
It also provides feedback on the complexity of your content, including the average number of words per sentence and the number of words with three or more syllables.
The tool also provides a grade-level metric that can help you gauge the level of education needed to understand your content.
Additionally, it provides a unique You/ Me ratio that shows how much you talk about yourself versus your readers.
Limitations of Perry Marshal:
- No feedback on how to improve readability
- No grammar or spelling checks
Pricing
Free.
The Perry Marshal Readability Tool is a great option as a free and simple readability checker.
9. VT Writer
Trusted by big firms like Intel, General Dynamics, and Airbus, VT writer is an AI-powered readability checker that helps you optimize your content for readability.
It uses the Flesch Reading Ease formula to measure the readability of your content and provides a detailed report on how to make it easier to read and understand. It even shows you the grade level for every long or complex sentence.
It also provides feedback on sentence length, keyword density, and unique words. Additionally, you can customize the readability score to focus on the most important metrics for your content.
The Editor allows you to make changes to your content based on its suggestions and shows you how many edits you’ve made.
Limitations of VT Writer:
- Not suitable for smaller teams.
- Doesn’t provide a solution to grammar or spelling errors
Pricing
VT writer has a 7-day free trial and paid plans starting from $57/month. The premium version offers more advanced features, such as analyzing unlimited text snippets and creating personal watchwords.
10. Yoast SEO plugin
Yoast SEO can be a great solution for you if you have a WordPress or Shopify website. It helps you optimize your content for readability. The readability analysis feature provides feedback on sentence length, transition words, and passive voice. It also flags words that are hard to understand and suggests replacements.
The plugin provides a readability score based on the Flesch Reading Ease formula. It also highlights sentences that are too long or too short and provides suggestions for improving them.
Yoast SEO also offers a range of other features, such as keyword optimization, internal linking, and a content analysis tool, making it an ideal choice for SEO.
Limitations of Yoast SEO:
- Only works on WordPress and Shopify
- Can’t fix grammar errors
Pricing
It has a free and paid plan costing $99/year.
With Yoast SEO, you can improve your content readability along with on-page and technical SEO.
Get your free Yoast SEO plugin here.
Conclusion
With AI-powered readability checkers, you can ensure that your content is easy to understand and read, no matter your writing goals.
From free tools like WebFX Readability Test, Grammarly, and Hemingway Editor, to paid tools like Copywritely and ProWritingAid, there are plenty of options to choose from.
So, pick the right tool that suits your needs and start creating content that resonates with your target audience.