Writing Tools
Readability & SEO content analyzer
Paste your text and instantly see word count, reading level, estimated reading time, and keyword density. Everything runs locally — your content never leaves your browser.
Words
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0 without spaces
Sentences
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Reading time
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200 wpm
Speaking time
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130 wpm
Reading level
Why readability matters for SEO
Google has explicitly stated that readability is a ranking signal. Content written at a lower reading level — plain, direct, conversational — tends to rank higher because it satisfies more searchers, earns longer dwell times, and attracts more backlinks.
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is the most widely used readability metric in digital publishing. It combines two factors: average sentence length (shorter sentences are easier to read) and average syllables per word (simpler words are easier to read). The formula is:
Grade Level = 0.39 × (Words ÷ Sentences) + 11.8 × (Syllables ÷ Words) − 15.59
Aim for a grade level of 7–9 for general web content. Academic and B2B audiences can handle 10–12, but anything above 14 will lose most readers.
Reading ease score guide
| Score | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy | 5th grade — easily understood by 11-year-olds |
| 80–89 | Easy | 6th grade — conversational English |
| 70–79 | Fairly easy | 7th grade — plain English, ideal for web content |
| 60–69 | Standard | 8th–9th grade — readable for most adults |
| 50–59 | Fairly difficult | 10th–12th grade — accessible to most educated readers |
| 30–49 | Difficult | College — best for academic or technical audiences |
| 0–29 | Very difficult | College graduate — legal documents, scientific papers |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level?
- The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula estimates the U.S. school grade level required to understand a text. It uses sentence length and syllable count. A score of 8 means an 8th grader could understand it. Most web content should target grade 7–9 for broad readability.
- What is the Flesch Reading Ease score?
- The Flesch Reading Ease score ranges from 0 to 100. Higher scores are easier to read. A score of 60–70 is considered plain English and appropriate for most adult audiences. Scores below 30 are very difficult, suitable only for academic or legal audiences.
- What is keyword density and why does it matter for SEO?
- Keyword density is the percentage of times a word appears relative to the total word count. For SEO, a density of 1–2% is natural. Going above 3% may be flagged as keyword stuffing by search engines, which can hurt your rankings rather than help them.
- How is reading time calculated?
- Reading time is estimated at 200 words per minute, which is the average adult silent reading speed. Speaking time is estimated at 130 words per minute, which is the average conversational speaking pace.
- Is my text stored or sent to a server?
- No. All analysis is performed entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never saved, transmitted, or stored anywhere. You can verify this by using the tool with your browser's network tab open — no requests are made.
- What counts as a stop word?
- Stop words are common words like 'the', 'and', 'is', 'to', 'of' that carry little semantic meaning on their own. The analyzer excludes them from keyword density calculations so you can focus on meaningful content words.