Free toolsReading time & readability
Reading time, word count & readability for lessons and articles
Instructional designers, teachers, and bloggers use this to plan module length, video scripts, and blog posts—so content matches how long it really takes to read.
Words
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Characters (with spaces)
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Est. reading time
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Flesch Reading Ease
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How to use this tool
Paste draft text from a lesson, article, newsletter, or script. You will see word count, estimated reading time, and Flesch-based readability. Set WPM to match your audience: younger readers or difficult topics often mean lower WPM; fluent adults skimming familiar material may read faster.
Use readability scores to sanity-check that a module isn't accidentally written two grade levels above your learners—or to simplify onboarding copy without dumbing down substance. Pair this with clear headings and examples; no formula replaces a real reader.
When your outline is ready, Ailurn can turn your topic into a full AI-built course with structured lessons—so you spend less time formatting and more time teaching.
Frequently asked questions
- How is reading time calculated?
- We divide your word count by your chosen words-per-minute (WPM) rate. The default is 200 WPM, a common estimate for silent reading of plain English. Adjust the slider if your audience reads slower (dense technical text) or faster (light narrative).
- What is Flesch Reading Ease?
- Flesch Reading Ease is a standard formula that scores how easy text is to read, mostly from average sentence length and syllables per word. Higher scores (closer to 100) mean easier reading; lower scores mean more complex prose. It is an estimate—not a judgment of quality.
- What is the Flesch–Kincaid grade level?
- It approximates the U.S. school grade needed to comfortably read the text. It uses the same inputs as Flesch Reading Ease. Use it to align lessons with your learners, not as a strict rule: vocabulary and prior knowledge matter too.
- Is my text uploaded anywhere?
- No. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is sent to Ailurn’s servers for analysis.
- Why might scores look wrong for my content?
- Formulas assume normal prose. Bullet lists, headings, code, URLs, and poetry can skew syllable and sentence counts. For those formats, treat scores as a rough signal and use your judgment.