Free tool
Reading level checker
Paste a passage and see its reading grade and its Library level: Easy, Medium or Challenging, the same scale as the level on every book page.
Library level
ChallengingReading grade 15.3
- Words
- 70
- Sentences
- 2
- Words per sentence
- 35
A passage is only part of a book: the level of a whole book also depends on its length.
Find books at this levelHow the Library level is set
We measure the reading grade with the Flesch-Kincaid formula, from the length of the sentences and of the words. A book is Easy at grade 6.5 or lower when it is under 60,000 words (never poetry or plays), Challenging at grade 9.5 or higher or at 150,000 words or more, and Medium in between.
- EasyGrade 6.5 or lower: short sentences and everyday words. Good for learners and young readers.
- MediumGrade 6.5 to 9.5: most classic novels for adults.
- ChallengingGrade 9.5 or higher, or a very long book: rich sentences that reward slow reading.
Browse the easy classics. Every book page shows its level next to the reading time.
Questions
What is a reading grade?
It is the school grade, in the US system, at which a reader can usually follow the text. Grade 8 means a typical 13 to 14 year old reads it comfortably.
Why do old classics score so high?
Writers of the 1700s and 1800s used long sentences joined by commas and semicolons. The formula counts sentence length, so one long sentence raises the grade even when the words are simple.
Does it work in other languages?
Not yet. The syllable count is made for English, so a passage in another language gives a grade that means little.
The library
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