Word Counter and Readability Checker | Free Online Tool
Check word count, reading level and clarity — instantly
Our free word counter and readability checker helps you write clearer, more effective content that ranks and converts. Paste your text and instantly see word count, sentence structure, reading level and more — perfect for blog posts, service pages and product descriptions.
No signup required. Just paste your content and get results in seconds.
Word Counter & Readability Checker
Paste your content, then analyse word count, keyword density, and Flesch Reading Ease.
Why Readability Matters for SEO
Google wants to show content that people actually find useful. If your writing is hard to read, visitors leave quickly — and that bounce signal tells search engines your page isn’t delivering.
- Clearer content gets read longer — Time on page is a quality signal. Simple, well-structured writing keeps people engaged.
- Short sentences convert better — Service pages and landing pages need punchy, scannable copy. Long paragraphs lose customers.
- Reading level matters — Most UK adults read comfortably at age 12-14 level. Writing above that narrows your audience unnecessarily.
- Word count affects rankings — Thin pages (under 300 words) rarely rank. But padding with filler is worse than being concise. Quality always wins.
Our word counter and readability checker shows you exactly where your content stands — so you can fix issues before publishing.
How to Use Your Readability Results
1. Check your word count first
Blog posts typically need 800-1,500 words to rank well. Service pages can work at 500-800 words if the content is focused and useful.
2. Look at your reading level
Aim for a Flesch Reading Ease score above 60 (the higher the better). If your score is below 50, your sentences are probably too long or your vocabulary too complex.
3. Break up long sentences
Any sentence over 25 words is hard to follow. Split them. Your readers — and Google — will thank you.
4. Cut unnecessary words
“In order to” becomes “to”. “At this point in time” becomes “now”. Tighter writing is clearer writing.
5. Read it out loud
If you stumble reading your own content, your visitors will too. The readability checker flags the issues, but your ear catches the tone.
6. Get professional help if you need it
If writing isn’t your strength, our blog writing service and website copywriting service produce clear, SEO-optimised content written by humans. From £149 per piece.
FAQ: Word Counter and Readability Checker
Is this readability checker free?
Yes — completely free, no signup, no limits. We built it to help UK small businesses write better content without paying for expensive tools.
What readability score should I aim for?
A Flesch Reading Ease score above 60 is good for most web content. Above 70 is excellent. Below 50 means your content may be too complex for a general audience.
How many words should a blog post be?
For SEO, 800-1,500 words is a solid range for most topics. Longer isn’t always better — what matters is covering the topic thoroughly without padding. We go deeper on this in our post on how long a blog should be.
Does word count affect SEO?
Indirectly, yes. Pages with thin content (under 300 words) struggle to rank because they don’t give Google enough to work with. But word count alone doesn’t determine rankings — relevance, structure and quality matter more.
Can I check content before publishing?
Absolutely — that’s exactly what this tool is for. Write your content, paste it in, check the scores, and refine before you hit publish.
What if my content scores poorly?
Start by breaking up long sentences and replacing complex words with simpler alternatives. If you’d rather have someone handle it, our free SEO audit includes content recommendations, or our blog writing team can write it for you.
Need Help Improving Your Content?
The readability checker shows you where the problems are — but if you’d rather have someone fix them, we’re here. Our blog writing services and website copywriting produce clear, search-optimised content that ranks and converts. Written by humans, not AI.
Want the full picture on your site? Our free 50-point SEO audit covers content quality, technical issues, competitor comparison and a prioritised action plan — all reviewed by a real person.
More free SEO tools:
SEO Health Score Checker | Meta Title & Description Checker | Broken Link Checker