Online Readability Checker Tool

In order to better communicate with the target audience, it’s always important to consider its level of perception. The Automated Readability Index (or ARI) is a readability test that represents for which population group (in terms of qualification) the text will appear as most appropriate. The test shows the result as scores corresponding to a certain grade level (by the US education system) that is necessary to understand the text. Scores (indices) are calculated on the basis of word and sentence structure difficulty. The ARI accounts the average number of words in sentences and characters in words. The score is rounded up to the whole number and is read as following: 1 score – age 5-6; 2 scores – age 6-7; 3 scores – age 7-8, etc.

Another test, used to measure text readability, is the SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) Grade Index. It estimates how many years of education a reader requires to understand a piece of writing. This method is considered as more accurate and easier than other readability calculations. To derive the Index, the following formula is used: the quantity of tri- or more syllable words are counted in each of the three selected groups of 10 sentences, then the square root of the count is calculated and 3 is added. The received number is the SMOG Grade Index.

The Gunning Fog Index is a readability test that shows the years of education necessary to understand the text on the first reading. The Fog index was offered by a US businessman Robert Gunning as a tool that helps to avoid unnecessary complexity (“fog”) in newspaper articles and business documents. According to the formula, the test analyzes a passage of 100 words and the average sentence length and considers the percentage of the 3- or more syllable words (excluding common suffixes, proper nouns and groups of simple words). The scores of 6-8 are optimal for understanding. However, this readability test has some flows. It ignores the fact that not all multi-syllable words are difficult to understand, and vice versa some simple words are not so easy to comprehend.

The Coleman Liau Index defines the text readability by approximating the required US grade level of a reader. For example, the text with the Coleman Liau Index of 12.4 scores demands 12th grade level. The index was developed for automatic calculation on the basis of characters per word, and not syllables. Word length in letters is easier and more accurately counted by computer programs and represents the text readability better than word length in syllables.

The Flesch-Kincaid Ease is also a readability test that represents how easy a text is to understand. The results are given as 0-100 scores. A higher score means that the text is easier to read, and vice versa. The test formula calculates the words in sentences and syllables in words. 60-80 scores are considered as most appropriate for the average reader.

Flesch-Kincaid Level, as some other readability tests, shows the grade level necessary to understand a particular writing in English. As well as Flesch-Kincaid Ease, it also counts the word (in terms of syllables) and sentence (in terms of words) length, but relates conversely to it. The higher is the results of the first test, the lower is usually the scores of the second one. The test is mostly often used in the field of education.