9 Best Free Readability Checkers For Your Content

Have you ever wondered why you bookmark particular articles? What is the core element of the text to which you can always turn when you have a particular issue?

The answer is simple: the speed with which you were able to process the information and implement the solution.

Compared to 2000, when the average attention span was 12 seconds, by 2008, the average attention span of internet users had dropped to 8 seconds. 

On top of that, over half of all pageviews are ignored after the first 15 seconds.

This demonstrates how challenging it is to capture the attention of today's audiences and keep them engaged long enough to read the whole piece.

However, that is also the same reason why writers focus so closely on content's readability level and depend on easily available readability checker tools.

Luckily for you, today, v

Let’s begin!

Why Does The Readability of Your Content Matter?

A content's readability is vital because it ensures that the reader can quickly and easily absorb the information. 

In addition, readers will likely interact with and share your content if they can quickly grasp what you're saying.

Good readability also contributes to a more pleasant user experience because readers can spend less time deciphering complex sentences or scanning for critical concepts in lengthy paragraphs.

Ultimately, improved content engagement and conversions directly result from increased readability.

How Can You Measure Readability Score?

A text's "readability score" quantifies how simple it is to follow along and take in the presented information.

An article's readability score is based on several metrics, including sentence length, word complexity, and other aspects of readability.

Higher readability scores indicate that the text is easy to digest.

Readability scores can be measured using several tests, such as:

• Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
• Gunning Fog Index 
• Coleman-Liau Index
• Automated Readability Index (ARI) 
• SMOG

Each of these tests uses a different algorithm to measure readability by considering already mentioned factors (sentence length, word complexity, and syllable count).

To learn more about how some of these formulas work, check our the article on how to improve the readability of your content.

How Can Readability Checkers Help Improve Readability Score?

You can increase your content's readability score by using a readability checker tool, which can give you feedback on how easy or difficult your text is to understand.

Using metrics such as word count, sentence difficulty, readability grade, reading time, etc., you can figure out what needs fixing to boost your content's readability and simplify it for the broad targeted audience.

Now, let’s find out which best free readability checker tools we picked for you today.

9 Best Free Readability Checker Tools You Can Start Using Today

Several of the following options are ones that you are likely already familiar with.

To help you see the full scope of each solution's potential, we'll group them with more advanced options for better comparison.

Let’s start!

1. TextCortex Add-on

TextCortex is an AI-powered writing assistant currently available as a web application and Chrome add-on.

It utilizes best practices and complex machine learning processes to produce the most relevant output for any content.

With the TextCortex add-on,, you can edit, write and rewrite your text on 30+ most popular online platforms using more than 60 AI templates for social media, emails, ads, website copy, and eCommerce.

Furthermore, TextCortex enables you to tweak your content with features such as:

• Rewrite — paraphrase your content for better context.
• Summarize — get a brief output from long pieces of text.
• Expand — extend original content for more information.
• Autocomplete — get complete sentences and paragraphs from random thoughts.
• Tone — add depth to the original text by switching between the different voices.
• Translate — translate your text into German, French, Romanian, Ukrainian, etc.
• Long-form post — write blog posts from 5-word ideas.
• Bullet to email — transform bullets into ready-to-sent emails.

Start with a few words-concept to use the TextCortex add-on’s rewriting features. Then, highlight them, and choose the necessary action from the rewriting menu. 

The good news is that you can tweak your paragraphs in bulk and use multiple options on the same piece of text.

Then, to access AI templates, click the TextCortex logo on the right side of the text editor. A pop-up window will then appear, allowing you to select predefined AI templates.

At any moment, you can get real-time feedback on your readability metrics while editing your text by clicking on the blinking dot.

That includes the word count, reading time, character count, and overall text score.

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TextCortex offers a forever free plan that gives you 10 creations per day.

2. WebFX Readability Test

WebFX’s Readability Test is a tool that allows you to get insights about the readability score of pasted text, website URL, or single area of the page.

It includes data on the total number of sentences, words, and complex words, as well as the average number of words per sentence and the average number of syllables per word.

The Readability Test feature in WebFX is handy because it provides feedback on the content's average reading ease on a scale from 0-100 and the age range in which the content is readable.

You can scroll further down the page to see readability insights for additional readability formulas, such as:

• Flesch-Kincaid,
• Gunning Fog score,
• SMOG index,
• Coleman-Liau index, and
• Automated Readability index. 

3. Grammarly

Grammarly is a cloud-based application and browser add-on that checks for issues with your content, including grammar, spelling, style, length, and tone.

Through the use of AI, it can identify instances of plagiarism and suggest simpler alternatives to complex expressions.

Regarding readability metrics, Grammarly can provide insights into word, sentence, character count, and reading and speaking time.

You can also check the overall readability score based on the Flesch reading ease test and the average word and sentence length.

4. Datayze Readability Analyzer

Datayze's Readability Analyzer allows users to paste their text for verification.

Once you've entered your text, it will provide readability statistics and scores from the Flesh-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Dale-Chall, and Fry tests.

In addition to a thesaurus, a dictionary, and a spell checker, it has a paragraph analyzer to see how your document's readability changes as you progress through it.

5. Readability Formulas

Readability Formulas is a free website that provides different readability formulas to check the readability of your content. 

These include the Gunning Fog, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Coleman-Liau, SMOG, Automated Readability, and Linsear Write Formula tests.

The website calculates the text's grade, reading level, and average age of a reader who will have no trouble with the text.

With the Readability Formulas website, you can:

• Perform multiple tests to determine the readability of the text.
• Get the final readability score that combines the findings of all readability checker methods.
• View word statistics, including the total number of words, the percentage of original and recycled words, and the average word number per sentence.

In addition, you can use the Readability Formulas website to find numerous resources to improve your writing.

6. Character Calculator Readability Scores

Character Calculator is a handy web-based calculator with the integrated Dale-Chall Readability Calculator that provides a readability score for your content.

To use it, copy and paste the text into the formula to get instant feedback on words, sentences, and paragraph count. 

The lower your content scores on the Dale-Chall scale means that your content is easier to read.

Character Calculator will provide:

• Your readability score,
• The minimum grade level for reading, and
• A brief comment on the reading difficulty level.

7. Outwrite

Outwrite is a web-based proofreading tool that, in addition to offering feedback on how to improve your content, also provides readability statistics.

With Outwrite, you can check for and correct your spelling and grammar errors, paraphrase, and receive style recommendations.

As per the readability metrics, this tool can give information on the number of characters, words, sentences, and syllables per word.

Furthermore, Outwrite readability insights include the grade level, reading and speaking time, and overall readability score.

You must copy and paste your text onto the canvas's editable area before selecting the statistic icon.

8. SEO Review Tools Readability Checker

The SEO Review Toolset is AI-powered search engine optimization (SEO) tool that can assess and enhance your webpage and its content.

Among its 60 free search engine optimization features, this tool offers a readability checker as part of SEO Content tools.

Readability score, scale level 0-100, average word, sentence, and paragraph length can all be obtained by toggling between several distinct readability formulas.

In addition, metrics like paragraph length, sentence complexity, average word length, character count, and average reading and speaking times are also available in SEO Review Tools Readability Checker.

9. Hemingway

Finally, there's the well-known Hemingway App, which guides content writers in streamlining their work for greater clarity.

Although more advanced options are available, many writers still prefer to run their final drafts through this tried-and-true proofreading tool out of habit.

You can copy and paste the text into the app's editable canvas and then use the color-coded indicators to gauge sentence complexity, passive voice, and overused phrases quickly.

Once you're done, you can view your readability score, word count, and other metrics like the total number of letters, characters, words, sentences, and paragraphs.

Wrapping Up

Readability of your text is essential. However, text is not the only factor that makes your content engaging for your audience.

Furthermore, making changes to your content manually can be a daunting and time-consuming task.

How about getting the solution that not only tracks your readability metrics but also lets you edit and use AI-generated content within the same interface?

TextCortex offers such an ability. It allows you to:

✅ Produce content at scale while taking over 80% of your writing work.

✅ Tweak your content in bulk within the same textbox.

✅ Utilize simultaneously various writing and rewriting features.

✅ Makes writing more fun and straightforward.

TextCortex solutions can keep the juices flowing while allowing you to focus on other important aspects of compelling content.

Ready to eliminate writer's block for good?

Get your TextCortex add-on today and easily employ a new and entertaining side of writing.