Readability Metrics & Scores
Flesch-Kincaid grade level, reading ease, and prose quality scores.
Last updated March 2026
Overview
The Analysis panel doesn't just flag individual issues — it also calculates document-level metrics that give you a bird's-eye view of your prose quality. These metrics appear at the top of the Analysis panel and update in real time as you write and edit.
Three headline scores drive the summary: Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and the Prose Score — a composite quality metric unique to Genesis Writer. Together, they give you a fast read on whether your prose is accessible, appropriately complex, and free of common weaknesses.
Readability metrics update live as you write
Flesch Reading Ease
The Flesch Reading Ease score measures how easy your text is to read on a scale of 0 to 100. Higher scores mean easier reading. The formula considers two factors: average sentence length (in words) and average syllables per word.
Short sentences with simple words score high. Long sentences with complex vocabulary score low. Most popular fiction falls in the 60–80 range — conversational and accessible without being simplistic.
Reading Ease Ranges
| Score | Difficulty | Typical Audience |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy | 5th grade; children's books |
| 80–89 | Easy | 6th grade; casual reading |
| 70–79 | Fairly easy | 7th grade; young adult fiction |
| 60–69 | Standard | 8th–9th grade; most popular fiction |
| 50–59 | Fairly difficult | High school; literary fiction |
| 30–49 | Difficult | College level; dense literary prose |
| 0–29 | Very difficult | Graduate level; academic or experimental prose |
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level translates readability into a U.S. school grade. A score of 7.0 means a 7th grader could comfortably read and understand the text. Lower grades mean simpler prose; higher grades mean more complex writing.
This metric uses the same inputs as Reading Ease (sentence length and syllable count) but outputs a grade level instead of a difficulty score. It's capped at 20 in Genesis Writer to avoid extreme outliers from skewing the display.
Grade Level Ranges
| Grade Level | Interpretation | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 4–6 | Simple, accessible | Children's fiction, easy readers |
| 6–8 | Clear, conversational | Most commercial fiction, thrillers, romance |
| 8–10 | Moderately complex | Literary fiction, historical fiction |
| 10–12 | Complex | Dense literary prose, sci-fi worldbuilding |
| 12+ | Very complex | Academic, experimental, or highly technical prose |
The ideal grade level depends entirely on your genre and audience. A thriller targeting a mass-market audience should aim for grade 6–8. A literary novel exploring complex themes might sit comfortably at 9–11. There's no universally “correct” grade level.
Prose Score
The Prose Score is Genesis Writer's composite quality metric, scored from 0 to 100. It starts at 100 (perfect) and deducts points for detected issues across your manuscript. Think of it as a health check for your prose — not a grade, but a diagnostic.
A score of 80+ indicates clean, polished prose with few detected issues. A score in the 60s suggests several areas for improvement. Below 50 means there are significant patterns worth addressing.
The Prose Score breaks down exactly where points are being lost
How the Prose Score Is Calculated
The score starts at 100 and deducts points based on issue frequency. Each category has a per-issue deduction and a maximum cap so that a single category can't tank your entire score. Here's how the scoring system handles deductions:
How Deductions Work
The Prose Score starts at 100 and applies deductions for detected issues. Common issues like passive voice, weak verbs, and adverb overuse each carry small deductions. More significant issues like wordy and redundant phrases carry larger deductions. Each category has a maximum deduction cap so that a single type of issue doesn't overwhelm your score.
The score also factors in sentence rhythm variety — text with varied sentence lengths scores higher than monotonous prose.
Additional Metrics
Beyond the three headline scores, the Analysis panel displays several supporting metrics:
- Word count — total words across all paragraphs in the current draft node.
- Sentence count — total sentences detected, handling abbreviations like “Mr.”, “Dr.”, and “etc.” correctly.
- Paragraph count — number of non-empty paragraphs in the draft.
- Average sentence length — words per sentence, rounded to one decimal place. Most fiction aims for 12–20 words per sentence on average.
- Dialogue ratio — the percentage of words that appear inside quotation marks. A dialogue ratio of 0.30 means 30% of your text is dialogue. This helps you gauge the balance between dialogue and narrative.
- Sentence rhythm variance — the standard deviation of sentence lengths, measuring how much variety your sentences have. Higher variance means more rhythmic diversity. Values below 3 suggest monotonous pacing; above 8 indicates strong variety.
Interpreting Your Scores
Here's a practical guide to what different Prose Score ranges generally indicate:
| Prose Score | Interpretation | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent — clean, polished prose | Final pass for style and voice |
| 80–89 | Strong — minor issues to address | Fix flagged suggestions for tighter prose |
| 70–79 | Good — some patterns need attention | Focus on the highest-deduction categories |
| 60–69 | Fair — multiple areas for improvement | Revise one category at a time |
| Below 60 | Needs work — significant issues present | Start with wordy phrases and long sentences |
Tips for Improving Each Metric
Here are targeted strategies for each major metric:
- Flesch Reading Ease (too low): Shorten your sentences. Replace multi-syllable words with simpler alternatives where the meaning allows. Break complex clauses into separate sentences. This doesn't mean dumbing down — it means being precise.
- Grade Level (too high): Same strategies as reading ease. Also check for jargon or technical terms that could be explained more plainly. If your grade level is above 12, some readers will struggle with comprehension.
- Prose Score (too low): Look at the deduction table and see which categories are costing the most points. Usually it's wordy phrases and long sentences. Use the analysis panel to click through each issue and fix them one at a time.
- Dialogue ratio (too low/high): If your ratio is below 0.15, your story may feel dense and introspective — consider adding dialogue to break up narration. If it's above 0.60, you may be leaning too heavily on conversation at the expense of description and action.
- Sentence rhythm variance (too low): Deliberately vary your sentence lengths. Follow a long sentence with a short one. Use fragments for emphasis. Read your prose aloud — if it sounds like a metronome, mix it up.
Genre Considerations
Different genres have different norms. Here's what to expect:
- Thrillers & mysteries: Typically grade 6–8, reading ease 65–80. Short, punchy sentences. Fast pacing. Prose scores tend to be higher because the style naturally avoids wordiness.
- Romance: Grade 6–9, reading ease 60–75. Conversational tone with emotional depth. Dialogue-heavy. Higher dialogue ratios are normal and expected.
- Literary fiction: Grade 8–12, reading ease 40–65. Longer sentences, richer vocabulary, more complex structures. A lower reading ease score here isn't a problem — it's a feature.
- Fantasy & sci-fi: Grade 7–10, reading ease 50–70. Worldbuilding terms may inflate grade level. Proper nouns and invented words can skew syllable counts.
- Horror: Grade 6–9, reading ease 60–75. Rhythm variance is especially important here — tension builds with short sentences, releases with longer ones.
- Young adult: Grade 5–7, reading ease 70–85. Accessible language with emotional resonance. Aim for higher prose scores to ensure clarity.