Readability and document stats

When you insert text into Hemingway Editor, you instantly get an analysis and statistics about your writing. You'll see a readability score that judges how complex your writing is, alongside metrics about your document.

Readability

What makes writing understandable? Researchers have explored this question in a field called "readability." Part of their work focuses on the average grade level needed to understand a piece of writing. Hemingway Editor builds on these insights to help you produce text that is bold and clear.

A common mistake is thinking that grade level defines your target audience. This couldn't be more wrong. In fact, writers like Ernest Hemingway produced novels for adults that score at a 5th-grade reading level. After all, straightforward writing appeals to everyone, regardless of their education level. Skilled authors prioritize accessibility without sacrificing depth or sophistication.

At the same time, writing at a 15th-grade level doesn't make your work more intelligent. Rambling phrases and run-ons inflate grade levels, but they confuse readers. Dense sentences overwhelm your working memory like trying to remember a long phone number. You might have to reread a line several times to figure out what it's saying.

Using long, pretentious words is another way to make your writing less readable. People use complex words to seem intelligent, but it often backfires instead. You don't want to sound like you spent too much time with a thesaurus.

To help you notice sentences that are difficult to read, Hemingway highlights them in yellow. For even more difficult sentences, it uses a red highlight. Don't fret if your text lights up like a Christmas tree, though. With a few changes, you can get your writing ready for even the toughest critics. And, Hemingway Editor's AI can suggest fixes with a single click.

Remember: our highlights and scores are only a guide. They show areas that might be an issue, but you don't need to fix every yellow or red sentence. Instead, focus on the worst offenders and try to bring your overall score down. Some long sentences work well, especially when they're describing a narrative or a chain of logic. Our brains are good at following those structures. Don't feel like you have to aim for conciseness at all costs. Your writing might end up sounding choppy like a news headline. Instead, write clearly and save longer sentences for emphasis or to add a pleasing bit of variety and rhythm to your writing.

Adjusting your target readability level

By default, Hemingway Editor Plus targets a grade 9 reading level, which is the average for adults in the United States. However, we make it easy to raise or lower the target score:

• Click on the button showing three sliders located next to the Readability score in the top right corner of the app.
• Select between three different options: Accessible - Lower grade level for accessibility and for young audiences. Default (most popular) - For most audiences. Average adult reading level. Technical - Higher grade level for technical and academic writing.

Seeing statistics about your writing

By default, Hemingway Editor displays the total word count of your text. However, you can click Show more stats to see additional information, including:

• Total Letters
• Total Characters
• Word Count
• Sentence Count
• Paragraph Count
• Reading Time