Shorter sentences and shorter words raise the score. Use the average sentence length figure to find where to cut.
How TallyWords counts
Words are runs of letters or numbers; contractions and hyphenated words count once. Characters are counted as you see them, so an emoji or an accented letter is one character. Sentences end at a full stop, question mark, exclamation mark or ellipsis, and paragraphs are separated by blank lines.
Readability uses the Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and Gunning Fog formulas. Reading time assumes 238 words per minute and speaking time 150 words per minute. Platform meters use each network's own counting rules where they differ from a plain character count.
Private by design
TallyWords has no server-side processing. Your text stays in this browser tab and in an autosave on this device only. Clear it at any time with the Clear button.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
60 to 70 is plain English that most adults read easily. Above 80 is very easy; below 30 is best suited to specialists.
How accurate are readability formulas?
They measure sentence and word length, not meaning, so treat them as a guide. Syllables are estimated with a heuristic and may be off by one on unusual words.
What grade level should web content target?
Grade 7 to 9 suits most public-facing web content.
Does TallyWords work offline?
Once the page has loaded, all counting and cleanup works without a connection, because nothing depends on a server.
Is TallyWords free?
Yes. Every tool is free with no sign-up and no limits on text length.