How to Check Reading Level in Word

Want to make sure your written content is easy for everyone to understand? Microsoft Word offers a great tool to check the readability of your documents. Whether you’re writing for school, work, or just for fun, it’s important that your audience can easily follow along. This guide will walk you through the steps to check the readability score in different versions of Microsoft Word, making your writing more accessible and effective.

For Word for Microsoft 365 and Word 2021

Steps:

1. Open Your Document: Start by opening the document you want to check in Microsoft Word.
2. Go to Home Tab: At the top of Word, click on the ‘Home’ tab.
3. Find Readability Stats: Click on ‘Editor’ and then ‘Document Stats’.
4. Wait for Results: If your document is big, it might take a little time. Word will tell you this.
5. See Your Readability Score: A new window will pop up showing how easy your document is to read.

For Older Word Versions (2013-2021)

In Windows:

1. Open Word Options: Click ‘File’, then choose ‘Options’.
2. Select Proofing: In the Options window, go to the ‘Proofing’ tab.
3. Enable Readability Statistics: Check the boxes for ‘Check grammar with spelling’ and ‘Show readability statistics’.
4. Save Changes: Click ‘OK’ to save your settings.

In macOS:

1. Open Word Preferences: Click on the ‘Word’ tab next to the Apple logo, then choose ‘Preferences’.
2. Go to Spelling and Grammar: Select ‘Spelling and Grammar’.
3. Turn On Readability Stats: Under ‘Grammar’, tick the box for ‘Show readability statistics’.
4. Close Preferences: Click ‘X’ to close the window.

Using Spelling and Grammar Check

You can also get readability scores when you check spelling and grammar:

• In Windows: Press the F7 key to start the checker, then choose to show readability statistics.
• In macOS: Click ‘Tools’, then ‘Spelling and Grammar’, and finally ‘Editor’. In the bottom right, click on ‘Document stats’.

Understanding Your Readability Score

• What’s Flesch Reading Ease?: This score tells you how easy your document is to read. A higher number means it’s easier to read.
• What’s Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level?: This score matches your writing to a U.S. school grade level. For example, a score of 8 means your writing is good for 8th graders.

Final Tips

Remember, clear and simple writing often has a higher readability score. This guide helps you use Microsoft Word to make your writing easy for everyone to understand.