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Reading level
A reading level for each post in the editor sidebar, in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian or Dutch, against a target of grade 9.
Updated for Lumtera 1.2.2 and Lumtera Pro 1.1.1.
Overview
Lumtera measures reading level with a formula made for the language of the post and shows it near the top of the block editor's Lumtera Accessibility sidebar, as a grade with a plain label such as "Easy to read". The same line appears in the Lumtera panel inside Elementor. It is recalculated with every check, a moment after you stop typing.
The language is the post's language in Polylang or WPML when either is active, otherwise the site language. English uses the Flesch–Kincaid grade. Spanish (Fernández Huerta), French (Kandel–Moles) and Dutch (Flesch–Douma) give a reading-ease score that Lumtera converts to an approximate school grade. German uses Flesch–Amstad, with its grade from the Wiener Sachtextformel, and Italian uses the Gulpease index, which counts letters instead of syllables.
The measurement needs at least 100 words; below that, no grade is shown. When a post is above grade 9, the sidebar adds a tip: shorter sentences and simpler words help everyone, and WCAG 3.1.5 (AAA) suggests offering a plain summary. With AI suggestions on, Draft a plain-language summary writes a short draft you edit and add at the top of the post in a Plain-language summary block.
Why does it matter?
Long sentences and long words shut out people with cognitive and learning disabilities, people reading in a second language, and anyone in a hurry. WCAG 3.1.5 (AAA) suggests content readable at about lower secondary level.
What do you get?
- Six languages, each with a formula made for it: Flesch–Kincaid (English), Fernández Huerta (Spanish), Kandel–Moles (French), Flesch–Amstad with the Wiener Sachtextformel (German), Gulpease (Italian) and Flesch–Douma (Dutch).
- Uses each post's language in Polylang or WPML, otherwise the site language.
- Target grade 9, based on WCAG 3.1.5, for posts of 100 words or more.
- Above the target, an optional AI draft of a plain-language summary, added in a Plain-language summary block.
How does it work?
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Write your post
Once it passes 100 words, the reading level appears in the sidebar.
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Simplify where it helps
Shorter sentences and everyday words bring the grade down.
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Add a summary if it helps
Above grade 9, draft a plain-language summary with your AI provider, or write one yourself in the Plain-language summary block.
Who is it for?
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Public-sector and health sites
Writing for a wide audience is part of the job. A visible grade gives writers a quick signal before content goes to review.
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Marketing and support teams
The grade shows when a draft has drifted into long, dense sentences that readers skim past.
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Multilingual sites
With Polylang or WPML, each post is measured in its own language, so a German page is not graded with an English formula.
Good to know
How it behaves, what it needs, and where its limits are.
- Six languages
- English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Dutch. Other languages get no grade, because a formula built for one language gives meaningless numbers for another.
- Information, not an issue
- Reading level never creates an issue, never changes the score and never affects publishing.
- A formula, not a judgment
- Each formula counts words, sentences and syllables or letters. It cannot tell whether text is clear, well organized or right for its readers.
- Why grade 9
- Grade 9 matches the lower secondary education level that WCAG 3.1.5 refers to. That criterion is level AAA, so the target is guidance rather than an AA requirement.
- For developers
- The lumtera_readability_language filter sets the language used for a post, and lumtera_readability_supported turns the measurement on or off for a language.
Questions
Something else on your mind? Contact support
Does it work for other languages?
It works in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Dutch. Other languages get no grade, because a formula built for one language gives meaningless numbers for another; the sidebar says reading level is not available for that language. Developers can change this with the lumtera_readability_supported filter.
Why does my short post show no grade?
Below 100 words the formulas give unreliable results, so Lumtera leaves it out.
Does reading level affect my score?
No. The score counts errors and items needing review only.
Can I see it in the classic editor?
No. The grade appears in the block editor sidebar and the Elementor panel.
What lowers the grade fastest?
Split long sentences and prefer short, everyday words. Breaking a dense paragraph into a list or adding subheadings also helps. Watch the grade change as you edit.
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