How to Fix Every Readability Issue
The Readability Checker measures how easy your content is to read — Flesch Reading Ease, average sentence length, passive voice percentage, jargon density, paragraph length and reading grade. Google does not directly rank on readability, but readers bounce from walls of text, and bounce rates correlate with rankings. AI engines also struggle to extract facts from dense prose. This index covers every fix, with concrete before/after rewrites.
By finding type
Each finding has a specific rewrite technique. Pick yours below:
📊 Fix low Flesch Reading Ease PLANNED
Flesch combines sentence length and syllable count. Score under 60 = hard to read. The two levers: shorter sentences and shorter words. The trade-off with technical accuracy and how to find your audience's right level (general web content: 60-70; B2B: 50-60; academic: 30-50).
📏 Fix sentences over 20 words PLANNED
Long sentences pile up clauses. Readers re-read or skip. Splitting techniques: replace commas with full stops, break at conjunctions, hoist subordinate clauses into their own sentence. The 20-word target and when to break it (for rhythm).
🔄 Fix excessive passive voice PLANNED
"The report was generated by the system" vs "The system generated the report." Active voice is shorter, clearer, and easier for AI engines to attribute. The cases where passive is correct (when the actor is unknown or irrelevant) and how to spot the difference.
🎓 Fix jargon and corporate-speak PLANNED
"Leverage" → "use". "Synergise" → "work together". "Operationalise" → "do". The plain-English equivalents for the 50 worst offenders, when industry terms are justified, and the jargon-glossary pattern for technical content.
📄 Fix paragraphs over 4 sentences PLANNED
Web reading is scanning, not reading. Paragraphs over 4 sentences become walls. The one-idea-per-paragraph rule, the lead-with-conclusion pattern, and the cases where a single-sentence paragraph beats a single-word headline.
🌉 Fix weak or missing transitions PLANNED
Choppy paragraphs feel disconnected. Strategic transitions ("However", "In contrast", "As a result") bind ideas. The 20-transition cheatsheet, and the rule of thumb: 25-35% of sentences should start with a transition.
🏫 Fix high reading-grade level PLANNED
Flesch-Kincaid grade above 10 means "sixth-form level". Most web content targets grade 8 (about age 13). Why this is not dumbing down: clear writing for sophisticated readers performs better than complex writing for the same readers.
📐 Fix vague or missing subheadings PLANNED
Long content needs scanning anchors. Subheadings every 200-300 words, descriptive (not clever), front-loaded with the topic word. The relationship between heading rhythm and dwell time.
By content type
Different content types have different optimal readability targets:
📰 Fix readability in blog posts and articles PLANNED
Target Flesch 60-70, average sentence 15-18 words, paragraphs 3-4 sentences. Lead with the conclusion. Subheadings every 200-300 words. The bullet-list rhythm that works for skim-reading.
📚 Fix readability in technical documentation PLANNED
Target Flesch 50-60. Technical terms allowed but defined on first use. Numbered steps, code blocks, and the "one task per page" pattern. Reference vs tutorial vs guide tone.
🛒 Fix readability in product pages PLANNED
Target Flesch 70+. Short. Benefit-led. Bullet specs, not paragraph specs. The headline + sub-headline + 2-sentence intro + bullet specs + long-description pattern that converts.
What our Readability Checker measures
The checker computes Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog, average sentence length, passive voice percentage, paragraph length distribution and jargon density. It flags problem sentences with concrete suggestions. For the full reference, see the Readability Guide or sample report.
📖 Score your pages first
Run the checker on your top-traffic pages. Most sites have 2-3 problem patterns that repeat across all content — fix those once and every page improves.
Run Readability Checker →