Readability

Readable.com Review

Readable.com (also known as readable.io) is an online tool designed to measure the readability of text. It combines a variety of readability formulas including Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, Coleman Liau and several others to give a general score as to the readability of a particular piece of content.

What is Readable.com?

Readable.com (also known as readable.io) is an online tool designed to measure the readability of text. It combines a variety of readability formulas including Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, Coleman Liau and several others to give a general score as to the readability of a particular piece of content.

Readable.com
Readable gives you a free, streamlined online readability score for your content

Readable.com Features

Readable.com offers numerous features that make it a popular choice for checking readability, including: 

Readability Analysis - Readable.com leverages well-known readability formulas like the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, Gunning Fog Index and many others to analyze your text’s readability. 

Text Grading - Once the readability of your text has been checked with various formulas, Readable.com will give you an approximate grade level needed to understand your text. For example, it may tell you that your text can be understood by an 8th grader (13-14 years old) or a college student. 

Keyword Density Analysis - Readable.com also checks the frequency of keywords and two-word phrases, which can be useful if you’re involved in search engine optimization. 

Sentiment Analysis - Beyond basic readability, Readable.com also does a sentiment analysis which gives you a general idea of the emotional tone behind your text. This can be helpful if you’re aiming to create a specific type of emotional response with your readers, such as nostalgia or high-energy excitement. 

Grammar and Spell Check - The service offers a basic spelling and grammar check, similar to what can be found in most word processing programs. 

Text Quality Checker - Readable will give you feedback on text quality, such as use of passive voice, adverbs and so on. It will also offer tips on how to vary your sentence length to improve readability. 

URL and File Scoring - You can optionally upload a file or enter a URL for a readability analysis. 

Multiple Language Support - Readable supports multiple languages in addition to English. 

How to Use Readable.com

If you want to check your text’s readability using Readable.com, follow these steps: 

  1. Visit Readable.com and optionally create an account or login. In order to use the site’s full suite of features, you’ll need to create an account.

  2. Next, choose how you want to add your text. You can copy and paste it in from another document, upload a file or enter a URL.

  3. Adding your text will automatically start the readability process. It takes just a few seconds to analyze the readability of your document.

  4. After the readability check is complete, you’ll receive a detailed report including your readability score, keyword density, sentiment analysis and more.
Example of a readability score with issues
An example of a readability score with issues highlighted

Understanding your Readable.com Score

Different areas of your text will be highlighted, for example, if the text is extraordinarily long or complex. In addition, points along the margin will show you where the errors are, and in the side panel you’ll see details on sentiment analysis, readability according to various formulas, the reach of your content (how formal or informal it is) and much more.  

Readable.com Pros and Cons

Like any online readability tool, Readable.com has its pros and cons. Keep these points in mind as you use the tool to analyze your writing: 

Pros

  • Wide variety of readability formulas - Readable.com checks your text against a wide range of readability formulas including Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease, Gunning Fog and many more.

  • Keyword Density checker - Used for search engine optimization purposes, the keyword density checker can help you determine if you’re using keywords the right amount of times with respect to the length of your content.

  • Sentiment analysis - Few readability checkers offer this tool, which can help you gain valuable insights into the emotional tone of your writing. 

Cons

  • Lack of context - The AI algorithm doesn’t take into account things like nuance or the context behind the writing, such as the reader’s experience and familiarity with the topic, which can affect how easy or hard it is to read. 
  • Limited free version - In order to be able to access the full suite of tools that Readable.com offers, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium version

  • Too much emphasis on simplification - In trying to make your content more readable, you may inadvertently oversimplify a complex topic. There are times when complex language is fine and even encouraged, and AI systems like Readable do not replace human judgment. 

Alternatives to Readable.com

There are a few alternatives to Readable.com that have the same focus on simplicity while providing readability scores and tips on how to make your writing more impactful. These include:

Grammarly: One of the most popular online spelling and grammar checkers, Grammarly also provides readability scores and vocabulary tips as well as, in its premium version, a plagiarism checker. 

ProWritingAid: A powerful writing tool, ProWritingAid highlights vague and abstract language, complex sentences, abstract vocabulary and more, helping students and professionals alike to use clearer, more concise language. 

Originality.AI: Using the latest research in artificial intelligence and machine learning, Originality.AI combines a thorough readability tool, detailed online plagiarism checker and proven AI detection scanner to create a one-stop writing improvement tool for professional content creators. 

What is Originality.AI?

Originality.AI is an impactful writing tool that uses the very latest in AI, natural language processing, machine learning and other technologies to detect the tell-tale signs of AI written content. In addition to its superb AI detection capabilities, Originality.AI also offers a free readability checker that checks the readability of your content across nearly a dozen different popular readability formulas, giving you the full picture of how readable your content is according to professionals. 

How Does Readable.com Compare to Originality.AI?

On the surface, Readable.com and Originality.AI may seem very similar in that both of them offer detailed readability checkers. However, they differ in that Readable.com also offers grammatical tips as well as writing suggestions on improving your vocabulary and other details, whereas Originality.AI is more focused on preventing plagiarism by detecting instances of it or AI-written content. 

If you need detailed help with things like advanced grammatical structures, word choice and tone, Readable.com may be a better option. However, if you want the full scope of your document’s readability, along with the ability to check for plagiarism and AI detection, Originality.AI is a better solution. 

How Does the Originality.AI Algorithm Work?

Originality.AI’s algorithm works through a combination of machine learning, natural language processing and artificial intelligence. As new advances are made and new AI systems released beyond popular favorites like Google Bard and ChatGPT, Originality.AI consistently updates and is trained on the common signs and patterns that are inherent in AI writing.

The algorithm itself is not one single entity but rather a combination of all of these things working together to detect AI writing and plagiarism while giving you the full scope of readability of your document as well as other features like keyword density, sentence complexity and much more. 

The Bottom Line: Should You Use Readable.com?

Readable.com is an excellent solution if you need more guidance with regard to improving your communication. Students studying for the IELTS, for example, will find its grammatical suggestions incredibly helpful. Professionals will benefit from its in-depth tools such as sentiment analysis and search engine experts will gain a lot from its keyword density tool. 

Even with all of these benefits, it’s worth noting that the free version of Readable.com is extremely limited in that you only have a certain number of words or characters that you can test at once for free. Although the paid packages are affordable even for basic use, it’s nice to have a free readability tool, like Originality.AI that also offers you an upgraded option to check for plagiarism and AI detection. 

By using Originality.AI’s free readability tool, you not only get the same benefits as using Readable, but your content is tested for readability across several other formulas at no extra charge, giving you the full picture of how understandable your text is to your target audience. Plus, with the ability to check for plagiarism and AI writing priced as low as 1 cent per 100 words, it’s a highly cost-effective way to protect your writing and showcase your expertise in a way that’s authentically human, and authentically your own.

Sherice Jacob

Plagiarism Expert Sherice Jacob brings over 20 years of experience to digital marketing as a copywriter and content creator. With a finger on the pulse of AI and its developments, she works extensively with Originality.AI to help businesses and publishers get the best returns from their Content.

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