Q. Is there a free site to test the readability or reading grade level of a document?

Answered By: Kathryn Ray
Last Updated: Dec 17, 2017     Views: 1741

A readability score is a computer-calculated index which can tell you roughly what level of education someone will need to be able to read a piece of text easily.   It is recommended that documents for the general public be written on an 8th grade reading level.

Microsoft Word has the option to provide Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level scores:

  • In Windows, go to File > Options > Proofing and select "Show readability statistics."
  • On a Mac, go to Preferences > Authoring and Proofing Tools and click Spelling and Grammar; then under Grammar, select "Check grammar with spelling" and "Show readability statistics."

The reading level/readability of a document can be tested at this site: https://readable.io/
There is no charge for occasional use.

 

Related Topics