Preview. This is a test version of a free suite tool, on the suite's test site.
Make a notice easier to read
Paste in a notice, letter or web page. You'll see its reading grade level, sentences that run long, stiff words with plainer ones to use instead, and wording that may be passive. Then fix it right here and copy it back.
Your text stays on this computer. It isn't sent anywhere or read by AI: all the checking happens in this web page. No account is needed. Signed out, nothing is kept after you close the page. Signed in, this web browser keeps your text so it's still here next time; Clear empties the box and the browser's copy.
1. Your notice
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2. How easy it is to read
Many election offices aim for grade 8 or lower, so most voters can read a notice the first time.
This text is short, so the score is rough. A few sentences or more give a steadier number.
- Reading ease
- Words
- Sentences
- Words per sentence
To get to grade 8 or lower
They pull the grade up the most. Fix these first, and the grade drops fastest.
How the score works
The reading grade level is the Flesch-Kincaid grade. It is worked out from two things: how long the sentences are, and how long the words are (counted in syllables, the beats in a word: "e-lec-tion" has three). The formula is 0.39 × words per sentence + 11.8 × syllables per word − 15.59. Shorter sentences and shorter words give a lower grade, which means more people can read it easily.
What counts. Every word in a sentence counts, names and numbers too. "Anytown" is a word of three syllables, and a number such as "555-0100" or "6:00" is one word of one syllable. "a.m." is said letter by letter, so it has two.
Headings are left out. A heading is a short line with no full stop that stands on its own line, with every main word starting with a capital ("NOTICE OF ELECTION", "Polling Places"). A line like "Bring your ID" with no full stop still counts as a sentence. It isn't a sentence, and counting it as one makes a notice look easier than its sentences are: the Anytown sample's two headings took 1.2 off its grade. Its words are still checked for stiff words. A list item ("- a photo ID") still counts. If your text is only headings, they all count.
The reading ease score (the Flesch reading ease) uses the same two things, on a scale of 0 to 100. Higher is easier: 60 to 70 is plain English, and under 30 is very hard.
Both are a guide, not a grade for your work. A short, clear sentence with one long word ("Bring your identification") can score high. Read your notice out loud too.
3. What to fix
Your notice, marked
Marked words match the list. To change your text, edit it in box 1 or use the buttons in the list.
What we found
Some notices must use the exact words of a law. If a word comes from the law, check before you change it.
Nothing to flag. Read it out loud once to be sure it sounds like you talking to a voter.
Tips for plain notices
- Put the most important thing first: what's happening, when and where.
- Keep most sentences under 20 words. One idea per sentence.
- Say "you" to the reader and "we" for your office.
- Say who does what: "We will mail your ballot", not "Your ballot will be mailed".
- Use lists for steps, dates and places.
- Explain an election word the first time you use it.