Free tool · Runs in your browser
Cover letter readability checker
Score a cover letter's reading ease and grade level, and find the long sentences worth splitting. Paste your cover letter, or any job-search writing, to see its Flesch reading ease, Flesch–Kincaid grade and average sentence length, with every sentence over 25 words marked so you can split it.
Private. Runs in your browser; nothing you type leaves your device.
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What we found
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How to use it
- Paste your cover letter. Paste the whole letter as plain text. The checker also works for a resume summary, a follow-up email, a LinkedIn post or any other job-search writing.
- Read the scores. A higher reading ease score means easier text, and the grade is an estimate of the school grade needed to follow it. The average sentence length shows how much a reader holds at once.
- Split the long sentences. Every sentence over 25 words is quoted for you. Split each one into two, cut filler words, and check again until the grade is 12 or lower and no sentence is flagged.
Example
What this tool checks:
- Scores reading ease and grade level, and flags sentences over 25 words.
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Related guides
Frequently asked questions
How is the readability score calculated?
The checker splits your text into sentences and words, then applies the standard Flesch reading ease and Flesch–Kincaid grade formulas, which use the average words per sentence and syllables per word. Syllables are estimated by counting vowel groups, less a silent final e, so a score can differ slightly from other tools.
What does the checker flag?
Two things: any sentence longer than 25 words, quoted so you can find it, and an overall grade above 12. Both are suggestions to consider, since a busy reader skims a cover letter and short sentences are easier to take in.
Does a better score make a better cover letter?
Not on its own. The scores measure sentence and word length, not whether your letter is specific, true or right for the job. Use them to make clear writing easier to read, then check that each paragraph still says something concrete about you.
Is my cover letter sent anywhere?
No. The checker runs in your browser with this page's own script. Nothing you paste is sent to Applystead or anyone else, and nothing is saved after you leave the page.