8 Best Content Readability Checker Tools to Optimize Your Content

Creating content that is easily readable and understandable can be a challenge. The success of your content relies heavily on its readability. If your readers struggle to comprehend your message, their interest will diminish rapidly. In this blog post, we will delve into the importance of readability in your content and how readability checkers can aid in its improvement. We will also delve into the leading readability checker tools that can help improve the readability score of your content.

What is content readability?

Content readability refers to the ease with which readers can understand and engage with written material. It focuses on factors such as sentence structure, vocabulary complexity, use of transitions, paragraph length, and overall clarity. Readable content is accessible, coherent, and comprehensible to a wide range of readers, making it more engaging, effective, and enjoyable to consume. A high level of content readability ensures that the intended message is effectively communicated, facilitating better user experience, and promoting information retention.

What is a readability score?

A readability score is a numerical value that indicates the level of readability or the ease with which a piece of written content can be understood by readers. It quantifies various factors such as sentence length, word complexity, and overall text structure to assess the readability level.

There are different readability formulas and algorithms used to calculate readability scores. These formulas analyze elements like average sentence length, syllable count, and familiarity of words to determine how challenging the text is to read.

Readability scores are often represented as a grade level, indicating the education level required to understand the content. For example, a readability score of 8 means that the text can be understood by an eighth-grade student. The lower the score, the easier the content is to read.

Readability scores serve as a helpful tool for writers, editors, and educators to assess and improve the accessibility of their content. By considering readability scores, they can adjust their writing style, simplify complex ideas, and make the content more reader-friendly.

What is a content readability checker?

A content readability checker is a tool that analyzes your content and gives you a score that tells you how readable your content is. It also provides suggestions on how to improve your content readability by changing your word choices, sentence lengths, paragraph structures, and other factors.

The Flesch-Kincaid test is a widely used method to measure readability in English. It consists of two tests: one assessing reading ease and the other determining the grade level required for comprehension.

In terms of reading ease, a higher score indicates easier readability. The grade level indicates the educational level necessary to understand the text.

If your content receives poor scores after a readability check, there are two approaches you can take. The first is manually reviewing your content to identify areas where it becomes complex. This involves breaking down sentences, substituting difficult words with simpler synonyms, and transforming passive constructions into active ones. Alternatively, you can leverage technology to assist you in this process.

Why is content readability important?

Content readability is important for several reasons:

• It helps you reach a wider audience. Most online readers have an average reading level of 8th grade or lower, so if your content is too complex or technical, you might lose potential customers who can’t understand or relate to your message.
• It helps you engage with your audience. Readable content is clear, concise, and easy to understand. It effectively conveys information, so your reader learns something new, makes a discovery, or solves a problem. Unreadable content doesn't accomplish any of these things - your reader can't gain any knowledge from it because the words and sentences don't make sense.
• It helps you rank higher on search engines. Search engines use readability as one of the factors to determine the quality and relevance of your content. Content that is readable and user-friendly is more likely to get higher rankings, more clicks, more shares, and more conversions.

How can you improve your content readability?

Improving your content readability can be achieved through several strategies:

Use Clear and Concise Language

Simplify your language by avoiding complex terms and jargon. Choose straightforward and easy-to-understand words that resonate with your target audience.

Break Down Complex Sentences

Lengthy sentences can confuse readers. Break them into shorter, more digestible sentences to enhance clarity and comprehension.

Structure Your Content

To organize your content effectively, make use of subheadings, bullet points, and numbered lists. This improves readability by making it easier for readers to scan and navigate through the text.

Use Transition Words

Transition words and phrases, such as "however," "moreover," and "in addition," help to connect ideas and improve the flow of your content. They guide readers smoothly from one point to the next.

Maintain Paragraph Length

Lengthy paragraphs can be intimidating and overwhelming. Keep your paragraphs concise and focused to make it easier for readers to follow your main ideas.

Proofread and Edit

Carefully review your content for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. A polished and error-free piece enhances readability and professionalism.

Consider the Reading Level

Adapt your writing style to match the reading level of your target audience. Use appropriate vocabulary and sentence complexity that aligns with their comprehension level.

Get Feedback

Share your content with others and seek feedback on its readability. Incorporate constructive criticism and suggestions to further improve your writing.

What are the best content readability checker tools?

There are many tools available online that can help you check and improve your content readability. Here are some of the best SEO readability checker tools:

Scalenut’s Content Optimizer

Scalenut is an AI-powered SEO and content marketing platform that helps you create original, high-ranking, long and short-form content. It combines next-generation technologies like AI and NLP and seamless content creation processes to help you create content that outperforms the rest.

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Pros

• It saves your time by automating the content creation process. You can use AI to write blogs, marketing copies, and more in minutes.
• It helps you discover topics that customers will love to read and build content clusters that establish topical authority.
• Scalenut’s SEO Topic Research tells you the ideal word count, H-tags, no. of images and paragraph length you should maintain within your content to improve readability and skimmability of the content.
• Scalenut’s Content Optimizer also provides on-page optimization suggestions on factors such as content depth, keyword density, meta tags, etc., to help you reduce keyword stuffing and ensure the right length of your titles and headers.
• It maximizes your SEO success with AI-driven NLP content optimization. You can use features like Cruise Mode, NLP Analysis, Content Optimizer, and Keyword Planner to improve your content planning, quality and relevance.
• You can also use the Scalenut Chrome Extension to access Scalenut from any web page.

Cons

• Scalenut may have a slightly steep learning curve; however, it provides a dedicated help center with comprehensive documentation and video tutorials to assist you in quickly overcoming any challenges and reducing the learning curve.

Pricing

1. Essential: $39/mo
2. Growth: $79/mo
3. Pro: $149/mo

Hemingway Editor

HemingwayEditor’s content readability checker tool helps you improve your writing style by highlighting lengthy, complex sentences and common errors. It suggests simpler words, active voice, and stronger verbs that will improve your content grade. It also gives you a readability grade based on the Flesch-Kincaid formula.

• It’s easy to use. You can test it without obligation.
• It is a free online platform.
• It is excellent for editing shorter pieces.
• It helps shorten long, complex sentences.
• It’s great for assessing the readability and complexity of your work.
• It helps you reach a wider audience and rank higher on search engines by making your content more readable.
• It works without an internet connection and allows you to publish your work directly to Medium or WordPress. You can also format and download your text in HTML or Markdown or as a Word document.

Cons

• It sometimes overlooks grammatical or spelling errors and is not intended to function as a comprehensive editor.
• It can be too rigid or simplistic in its suggestions. It might not account for the context, tone, or purpose of your writing. It might also overlook some nuances or subtleties of language.

Pricing

• The online version is free to use but requires an internet connection and does not allow you to download or publish your edited work.
• The desktop app costs $19.99 and works offline. It also allows you to format, download, and publish your edited work to Medium or WordPress.

Readable

Readable analyzes your content based on various readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, SMOG, etc. It also gives you feedback on word count, sentence length, paragraph length, sentiment analysis, keyword density, etc.

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Pros

• Readable is the most advanced readability scoring tool with many features, including those made especially for websites.
• Readable has its own standards, which give your text a grade between A and E rather than using the Flesh-Kincaid score.
• It checks spelling and grammar as well as looks for the use of adverbs, passive voice, and cliches.
• Readable monitors the sentiment and tone of your content to ensure a consistent voice.
• Readable integrates into your CMS or other software with a powerful API.

Cons

• Readable is not a free tool. It offers a 7-day free trial, but then you have to pay a monthly or annual fee to use it.
• This article readability checker may not be compatible with all file formats or languages. It supports text files, Word documents, Open Office, PDFs, Markdown, and eBooks, but not HTML or XML files4. It only supports English, French, Spanish, and German languages.

Pricing

• ContentPro: $8 per month or $4 per month billed annually
• CommercePro: $48 per month or $24 per month billed annually
• AgencyPro: $138 per month or $69 per month billed annually

ProWritingAid Easy Checker

ProWritingAid Easy Checker checks your content for grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, tone, plagiarism, etc. It also gives you suggestions on how to improve your vocabulary, sentence structure, readability score, etc.

Pros

• The tool has more features than other proofreading and editing tools in the market.
• It analyzes your writing and finds over 20 different reports for potential improvements.
• It supports both Windows and Mac desktop versions.
• It offers various integration options with other software like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, WordPress, and more.
• It teaches and educates you along the way by providing explanations and suggestions for your writing errors.
• You can start with a free trial and cancel anytime. ProWritingAid offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. You can also get a discount for educational or non-profit use.

Cons

• This SEO readability checker may not be as accurate or reliable as Grammarly in some respects, such as plagiarism detection, tone analysis, and browser extension.
• It may not be compatible with all file formats or languages. It supports text files, Word documents, Open Office, PDFs, Markdown, and eBooks, but not HTML or XML files2. It only supports English, French, Spanish, and German languages.

Pricing

• Monthly Subscription: $20 per month
• Yearly Subscription: $79 per year ($6.58 per month)
• Lifetime: $399 one-time payment

Grammarly

Grammarly is a free writing AI assistance that helps you compose clear, mistake-free writing with its suggestions for grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, conciseness, tone, and more. Grammarly also has a premium version that offers more features, such as full-sentence rewrites, word choice, tone suggestions, citations, and plagiarism detection.

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Pros

• It helps you improve your writing skills by giving you real-time feedback and explanations for suggestions.
• It works on various websites and applications on your desktop and mobile devices, such as Google Docs, Gmail, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
• It helps you write with your reader in mind by adjusting your tone and style according to your goals and audience.

Cons

• It may not catch all the errors or nuances in your writing, especially if you use slang, idioms, or complex sentences.
• It may not be compatible with some formats or platforms that you want to use for your writing, such as PDFs, WordPress, etc.
• It may be expensive for some users who want to access the premium features but cannot afford the subscription fee.

Pricing

• Grammarly has a Free plan
• The Premium plan: $29.95 per month for a monthly subscription, $19.98 per month for a quarterly subscription, or $11.66 per month for an annual subscription23.
• The Business plan: $15 per user per month for a monthly subscription, or $12.50 per user per month for an annual subscription.

Real-time Content Analysis by Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that helps you optimize your content for search engines and readers. It includes a readability checker tool called Real-time Content Analysis that analyzes your text and gives you feedback on how to improve it. The readability checker tool uses various criteria such as sentence and paragraph length, passive voice, transition words, and Flesch reading ease score.

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Pros

• It helps you write clear and engaging content that your readers will love and understand.
• It helps you improve your SEO by making your content more relevant and user-friendly for search engines.
• It works in real-time and gives you specific suggestions for improvement with color-coded scores.

Cons

• It may not be accurate or suitable for all types of content, especially if you use a different language, style, or tone than the default settings.
• It may not be compatible with some WordPress themes or plugins that affect the content editor or layout.
• It may be too strict or rigid for some writers who prefer more flexibility and creativity in their writing.

Pricing

• They offer a Free version
• The Premium version: $89 USD per year
• The Plugin subscription version: $229 USD per year

Text Optimizer

Text Optimizer is a tool that helps you improve your content’s readability and SEO by analyzing your text and giving you suggestions on how to optimize it for your target keywords and audience. Text Optimizer uses natural language processing and semantic analysis to identify the best words and phrases to use in your content.

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Pros

• It helps you write content that matches the search intent and expectations of your potential readers.
• It helps you improve your content’s relevance and ranking potential by suggesting related terms and concepts you can include in your text.
• It helps you measure and improve your content’s readability score by showing you how easy or difficult it is to read and understand.

Cons

• It may not be accurate or suitable for all types of content, especially if you use a different language, style, or tone than the default settings.
• It may not be compatible with some formats or platforms that you want to use for your writing, such as PDFs, WordPress, etc.

Pricing

• Pro plan: $45 per month

4. WebFX Readability Tool

WebFX Readability Tool is a free online tool that helps you test the readability of your text or web page. It calculates various readability scores, such as Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Score, Coleman Liau Index, Automated Readability Index, and SMOG Index. These scores indicate how easy or difficult your text is to understand by different audiences.

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Pros

• It is easy to use and flexible. You can test all or part of a web page or simply type or paste your text.
• It has a Google Chrome extension that allows you to quickly check the readability of any web page with a click of a button.
• It provides content ideas, search intent suggestions, geotargeting, and example word usage to help you improve your writing.
• It is useful for developers, copywriters, marketers, usability assessors, SEO experts, and anyone who wants to write clear and effective content.

Cons

• It does not provide suggestions for words to add or remove to improve your readability score.
• It does not check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, or style errors in your text.
• It does not allow you to compare your text with other texts or websites in terms of readability.

Pricing

• Basic plan: Free
• Premium plan: $99 per month

OnlineUtility Readability Calculator

OnlineUtility Readability Calculator is a free online tool that tests the readability of your text and gives suggestions on how to improve it. It calculates various readability scores, such as the Coleman Liau index, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, ARI (Automated Readability Index), and SMOG Index. These scores indicate how many years of formal education a person needs to easily understand the text on the first reading.

Pros

• It is easy to use. You can simply type or paste your text or read it from a website.
• It provides detailed feedback on your text, such as word count, sentence count, average words per sentence, average syllables per word, and percentage of complex words.
• It offers tips and examples on how to improve your readability scores, such as using simpler words, shorter sentences, and active voice.
• It is useful for anyone who wants to write clear and effective content for different audiences and purposes.

Cons

• It only supports the English language.
• It does not check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, or style errors in your text.
• It does not allow you to compare your text with other texts or websites in terms of readability.

Pricing

• Free Tool

Conclusion

Readability is crucial for successful content marketing. It ensures that your audience can easily read, understand and engage with your content. SEO readability checkers provide a fast and efficient way to evaluate how well your writing style aligns with user preferences. There are many article readability checker tools available online today. These tools can help you improve the clarity of your content, reduce complexity, and enhance the overall reading experience for your audience.

About Scalenut 

Scalenut is an AI-powered SEO and content marketing platform that helps discover and create relevant content for your customers. Be it brainstorming a content strategy, creating comprehensive briefs, generating the content, or optimizing it per the best SEO practices, Scalenut has made the process extremely easy. Click here to create a free account and explore the many features of this tool.