AI writing assistant that rewrites text to a chosen reading level

If you’re looking for a tool, Sapling’s Plain Language Simplifier lets you paste text and choose a target level—such as elementary, middle school, high school, or plain language. (sapling.ai)

Other options:

• Hemingway Editor Plus — set a target reading level and get AI rewrite suggestions. (hemingwayapp.com)
• SchoolAI Text Leveler — rewrite text to a chosen comprehension or grade level, geared toward educators. (help.schoolai.com)
• Flint AI Text Leveler — choose a reading level and get a classroom-ready rewrite. (flintk12.com)

For a quick, general-purpose option, I’d start with Sapling.

Several tools fit this, and they fall into two groups.

Dedicated reading-level tools (best match)

• Sidenote's free grade-level rewriter offers Grade 5, Grade 8, plain English, and a more concise option. Grade levels follow the Flesch-Kincaid scale used by Word and Google Docs. It has no sign-up, but it has a small daily limit because each rewrite uses AI.
• CoGrader's free reading level converter lets you target Lexile scores, Flesch-Kincaid grade levels, and vocabulary complexity. It also has a separate privacy note: when processing assignments, it sends only anonymized data to its AI language models.
• Flint's AI Text Leveler is free for teachers. It can change the reading level of any text, at one level or several, and it keeps subject vocabulary instead of swapping it for easier words.
• MagicSchool's text rewriter is also free for teachers. It lets you adjust the reading level, simplify the language, change the tone, or make it more concise.
• OpenEduCat's rewriter lets you target a specific Lexile range, which is useful if you need precise bands. It sets the target reading level by grade (K-12 and college) or by specific Lexile range (200L to 1300L+).

General-purpose rewriters with a simplify option

• QuillBot has a Simple mode among its rewriting modes. Its free plan is limited: its free Paraphraser provides Standard and Fluency modes with a 125-word limit per run. The fuller mode set requires a paid plan.
• Grammarly has a paraphraser with preset styles, but it is oriented toward tone and clarity rather than a target grade level.

Caveats

• Check the output yourself. One review found that even fluent outputs sometimes strengthened a tentative claim or changed the precision of a number. This matters most for science or legal text.
• Grade-level scores come from formulas and are approximate. Tools that promise to keep the meaning intact still need a human check for accuracy.

For a quick, free, one-off rewrite, Sidenote or CoGrader is a good start. For classroom use with differentiated versions, Flint or MagicSchool is a better fit. If you tell me your audience (for example, grade level or ESL learners) and whether you need a free tool, I can narrow this down.

There are several AI-powered writing assistants specifically designed to rewrite text to a chosen reading level or grade level. These tools are highly effective for educators, content creators, and professionals who need to make complex information more accessible.

Top Tools for Adjusting Reading Levels

• Microsoft Copilot (in Edge/Office/Education): Microsoft has a specific feature called "Modify Reading Level" (often found within their education tools) that allows you to input a text and select a target grade level. It adjusts vocabulary and sentence complexity while preserving the original meaning and core concepts.
• MagicSchool AI: This is a popular platform for educators that includes a dedicated "Text Rewriter" tool. You can paste a text and specify the exact grade level you want the output to match, making it easy to differentiate content for students with different reading abilities.
• Varsity Tutors AI Text Leveler: This tool is designed to take any passage and adjust it for different grade levels. It is specifically built to help teachers adapt materials so that all students can engage with the same core content.
• Blueye / Reading Level Converter: These tools allow you to adjust text complexity based on specific Lexile scores or grade levels. They are noted for attempting to maintain the original structure and meaning of the text rather than just summarizing it.

General Readability & Style Editors

If you do not need a specific "grade level" target but want to make your writing generally easier to read, these tools are highly recommended:

• Hemingway Editor: While it doesn't let you pick a "target grade" in a dropdown menu, it is the industry standard for readability. It highlights complex sentences, passive voice, and difficult words, assigning a grade level to your text so you can manually edit it to be clearer.
• QuillBot: Offers multiple rewriting modes, including "Simple" and "Fluency," which help rephrase text to be more understandable without changing the original meaning.
• Grammarly: Useful for tone and clarity adjustments. Its AI rewriter can untangle complex sentences to help your audience understand your message better.

Summary Recommendation

• If you are an educator needing to adapt specific material for students: MagicSchool AI or Microsoft’s "Modify Reading Level" tool are your best choices because they are purpose-built for that exact task.
• If you are a writer trying to improve your own style: Hemingway Editor provides the best visual feedback on why a piece of text might be difficult to read.

If you’re looking for a tool that rewrites text to a chosen reading level, try:

• Hemingway Editor Plus — uses AI to simplify selected sentences or larger passages, and shows the text’s readability grade. ¹
• Junia AI Text Simplifier — lets you choose a reading level, such as “Very Easy,” “Easy,” or “General.” ⁹
• Free.ai Text Simplifier — offers specific targets including 5th grade, 8th grade, high school, and college. ¹²
• Microsoft Teach’s Modify Reading Level — lets you select a target grade and preserve key terms while rewriting. ¹⁵

For an exact grade-level target, Free.ai or Microsoft Teach appears to be the closest fit. Review the rewrite to make sure it preserves the original meaning.