Hemingway Editor Alternative
A free Hemingway Editor alternative that gives you the Flesch-Kincaid grade level and reading ease for any text, plus how long it takes to say out loud.
Syllable counts are estimates, so the scores can be off by a little on unusual words.
How to use this Hemingway Editor alternative
- Paste or type your text into the box.
- Read your Flesch-Kincaid grade level and Flesch Reading Ease score.
- Check the highlighted hard sentences and rewrite the ones that drag.
- Look at the speaking time to see how long it runs out loud.
Reading it out loud? Check the run time in the words to minutes calculator.
What is the Flesch-Kincaid grade level?
The Flesch-Kincaid grade level estimates the US school grade a reader needs to follow your text. It looks at two things, how long your sentences are and how many syllables your words have. Longer sentences and longer words push the grade up. A score of 8 means an eighth grader should be able to read it.
Grade level = 0.39 × (words ÷ sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words) − 15.59
What is the Flesch Reading Ease score?
Flesch Reading Ease scores text from 0 to 100. Higher is easier. It uses the same two inputs as the grade level, sentence length and syllables per word, but flips the scale. Short sentences and short words score high, and dense academic writing scores low.
Reading ease = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)
| Score | Band | Reads like |
|---|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | Very easy | Short, simple sentences a young reader can follow. |
| 80 to 89 | Easy | Casual, conversational writing. |
| 70 to 79 | Fairly easy | Friendly copy most adults read without effort. |
| 60 to 69 | Plain English | Clear everyday writing for a general audience. |
| 50 to 59 | Fairly difficult | Denser writing that takes some focus. |
| 30 to 49 | Difficult | Long sentences and longer words, closer to academic writing. |
| 0 to 29 | Very difficult | Technical or specialist writing that's slow going. |
What grade level should you write at?
Scripts and voiceovers should usually sit low, around grade 6 to 8. That's guidance, not a rule. Listeners get one pass at every line, so simple words and short sentences win.
For web copy, grade 7 to 9 is a good general target. People skim online. Make it easy and they keep reading.
Speeches do well around grade 8 or lower as general guidance. You're talking to a room, not handing out a paper. If it's hard to say, it's hard to hear.
Why writers use this as a Hemingway Editor alternative
Writers use this as a Hemingway Editor alternative because it's free and runs right in the browser. It shows the actual Flesch-Kincaid numbers and highlights hard sentences. It also adds speaking time, so you know how long anything read aloud will run.
Hemingway Editor is a trademark of its owner. Script Timer isn't affiliated with or endorsed by it.
Hemingway Editor alternative FAQ
Is this a free Hemingway Editor alternative?
Yes. It's free and runs in your browser. Paste your text to get the Flesch-Kincaid grade level, reading ease, highlighted hard sentences, and speaking time.
What is a good Flesch-Kincaid grade level?
It depends on who's reading. As general guidance, grade 6 to 8 works well for scripts and speeches, and grade 7 to 9 for web copy. Lower usually means easier to follow.
How is the Flesch-Kincaid grade level calculated?
It combines your average sentence length with your average syllables per word. Both numbers go into a fixed formula that turns them into a US school grade. You can see the formula on this page.
Are syllable counts exact?
No. They're estimates from a vowel-group rule, so a word or two can be off. Across a full piece of text, the scores still give you a solid read on difficulty.
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