Readability Formulas
Free readability assessment tools to help you write for your readers
Reading Levels | Grade Levels | Word Usage | Reader Profiles
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Online
Tuesday | 03-19-2024 | 05:55:45 AM
Dale-Chall Readability Calculator v2.0
[ ? ]This is version 2.0 of our Readability Scoring System. Version 2 debuted Sept. 2023. We are currently in Beta (working out the bugs). X
Error:
First 20 characters contain non-text characters.
[ ? ]Word count in this text area may show differently after processing your text. X
Word count: 0  |  
[ ? ]Sentence count in this text area may show differently after processing your text, especially if your text contains abbreviated words using periods. X
Sentence count: 0
  | (or) |
[ ? ]If your text is longer than 5K words or contains different sections of text, non-text, or a hybrid of both, we recommend selecting "Process random samples." Our program will analyze random samples from your text and output a single overall readability score. X
drive_folder_upload
[ ? ]You can import the contents of a .txt, .pdf or MS-Word file. You can also copy the contents of a .pdf or Word file to your clipboard first, then paste into the text area. X



Word List Based
New Dale-Chall Readability Formula

settings


If you need to score your text using multiple readability formulas, please use our Readability Scoring System.
THE DALE-CHALL READABILITY CALCULATOR


Our free DALE-CHALL READABILITY CALCULATOR will analyze your text and score the "reading ease" or "reading difficulty" of your text based on both the original and new Dale-Chall formulas. You'll find out the type of readers who are most likely to understand your text, including their grade level and age. ( Learn more about: the original Dale-Chall | the new Dale-Chall ) (If you need to score Spanish text, go to SpanishReadability.com)

The Dale-Chall Formula is unique because, unlike other formulas that use word-length to assess word difficulty, the Dale-Chall Formula uses a count of "hard" words. The Dale-Chall Formula calculates the US grade level of a text sample based on sentence length and the number of "hard" words. These "hard" words are words that do not appear on a specially designed list of common words familiar to most students. ( Learn more about The Dale-Chall Word List )

1. GET STARTED
Paste your text into the text area or upload a .txt file from your computer. For Word or .pdf documents, first copy the text into your clipboard, then paste into our text area. Otherwise, type your text into the text area. For texts exceeding 2K words, we recommend processing random samples of your text. You can select this option below the text area.

2. SELECT THE FORMULA
Make sure you check the Dale-Chall Readability Formula checkbox.

3. FINE-TUNE OUR SYSTEM
Open the "System Settings" (below the formulas) and change default settings if need be to fine-tune how the scoring system processes your text. Click on any [ ? ] to get more information about the option.

4. FOR BEST RESULTS
Make sure your text is spell-checked beforehand. Misspellings can alter results. Each sentence should end with a punctuation mark, otherwise run-on sentences can alter results. Abbreviated words should be correctly abbreviated (Mr. or Mrs. not Mr or Mrs). A clean, properly-formatted and grammatically-correct text will yield the best results.

5. READY, SET, GO!
When you're ready, hit the "Calculate Text Readability" button. Our system will analyze and score your text and output the information on a new page. Our free Dale-Chall Readability Tool will analyze your text and output the results to help you determine the grade level for your text.

6. WORD STATS ONLY
If you need a fast way to see "Word Statistics" for your text, select any formula and hit the "Calculate Text Readability" button. Our system will process your text and output important stats, such as syllable count, average sentence length, number of abbreviations, proper nouns, passive voice, etc.

If you'd like to learn more about readability formulas and their importance to text comprehension, then go to our ARTICLES SECTION.