Text Statistics

About Text statistics

The text statistics tool analyzes readability with six published formulas: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade, Gunning Fog, SMOG, Coleman-Liau and the Automated Readability Index. It also reports counts, averages, longest word and estimated reading and speaking time. It is intended for writers and editors who want to know whether a draft suits its audience.

How to use it

1. Paste your writing into the Text box. A sample passage is loaded for you to overwrite.
2. Read the reading time and speaking time figures at the top of the results.
3. Compare the Readability table, where each formula shows a score, a band such as Easy or Hard, and a plain-language reading.
4. Check Structure and counts for averages, then use the buttons to copy the report or download it as a text file.

A very simple passage

The cat sat on the mat. It was a sunny day, and the cat was happy.

16 words, 2 sentences. Flesch Reading Ease 100, Flesch-Kincaid Grade 0.8, Gunning Fog 3.2. Reading time 4 sec, speaking time 6 sec.

When to use it

• Checking that a help article or policy is written at a level most readers can follow.
• Comparing two drafts of the same text to see whether edits made it easier or harder to read.
• Estimating how long a blog post takes to read or a speech takes to deliver.
• Teaching students how sentence length and word length drive readability scores.

Questions about Text statistics

What reading and speaking speeds does it assume?

Silent reading is set at 238 words per minute and speaking at 150 words per minute. Real speeds vary by person and subject, so use the times as a rough guide.

Why is the Flesch score capped at 100?

The tool clamps Flesch Reading Ease to the 0 to 100 range, and grade-level scores are floored at 0. Very short, simple text can otherwise produce values outside those bounds.

How accurate are the syllable counts?

They are a heuristic for English: vowel groups are counted and a silent final e is dropped. Some words will be off by one, so the scores are best used to compare drafts rather than as exact measures.

Why does SMOG carry a warning?

The SMOG formula was calibrated on samples of 30 or more sentences. With fewer, the tool still computes a grade but labels it indicative, and short texts can look easier or harder than they are.

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