Email Readability Checker
Paste your email and see how easy it is to read: the school grade level, how long it takes to read, the exact sentences that are too long, and simpler words you could use.
What reading level should an email be?
For most emails, aim for grade 6 to 8. That isn't about your readers' intelligence: everyone, including busy professionals, reads email quickly on a phone, between other things. Plain, short sentences get read; dense ones get skimmed or saved for later and forgotten.
Real estate agents, contractors and small businesses especially benefit: a listing update or quote that reads at grade 7 feels friendly and clear. Legal or technical emails can run higher, but even then, shorter sentences help.
How the score is worked out
The grade uses the Flesch-Kincaid formula, the same one built into Microsoft Word. It looks at two things: how many words are in each sentence, and how many syllables are in each word. Long sentences and long words push the grade up.
Greetings and sign-offs like "Hi Sarah," or "Thanks, David" are left out so they don't make the score look easier than it is. Links and email addresses are ignored too.
Quick ways to make an email easier to read
- Keep sentences under about 20 words. Split long ones at "and", "but" or "which".
- Use the short word: "use" not "utilize", "help" not "assistance", "about" not "approximately".
- One idea per paragraph, two or three sentences each.
- Put the point or the ask in the first two lines.
- Read it out loud. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.
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Frequently asked questions
What reading level should my email be?
Grade 6 to 8 works best for most marketing, sales and customer emails. People read email quickly, often on a phone, so plain writing gets read and acted on.
How is the reading level calculated?
With the Flesch-Kincaid grade formula, which uses the average sentence length and the average number of syllables per word. It's the same formula Microsoft Word uses.
Does a low grade mean my email sounds childish?
No. Grade level measures effort, not intelligence. Most popular newspapers and successful marketing emails are written around grade 7 or 8.
Can I paste an HTML email?
Yes. The checker removes the HTML code and only scores the words your reader sees.
How long should an email be?
Short usually wins. For a first contact or a follow-up, roughly 50 to 125 words tends to get the most replies. Newsletters can be longer if they're easy to scan.
Is my email text uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing you paste leaves your device.