How do you rate a domain name?
Quick answerRate a domain name on five things: length (5-8 letters is ideal), how easy it is to say, whether it avoids hyphens and numbers, how memorable it is, and whether people can spell it after hearing it once. This tool scores each out of 100 and suggests fixes.
How the score works
Five signals, weighted by how much they affect real-world recall:
- Length (32%): 5-8 letters is the sweet spot
- Pronounceability (28%): natural consonant-vowel flow
- Memorability (18%): real words and short forms stick
- Clean (12%): no hyphens or numbers
- Spelling (10%): avoids ambiguous letter combinations
A score is a guide, not a verdict. Iconic brands broke rules. Use it to compare your finalists, then read how to choose a domain name.
What a high score looks like
Names scoring 85+ are usually 5-8 letters, alternate consonants and vowels naturally, and contain at least one real word or a familiar sound. Names under 60 tend to be long, contain hyphens or digits, or have consonant clusters people trip over.
Five quick fixes for a low score
- Cut a word: "BestCityPlumbingPros" becomes "CityPlumb".
- Swap a hard cluster: replace "xq" or "kch" sounds with simple syllables.
- Drop the hyphen and choose a different second word instead.
- Spell numbers out, or remove them.
- Test out loud: if a friend misspells it once, keep iterating.
When you have two or three strong finalists, use the 20-point checklist to make the final call.