ReadabilityPro

Flesch Reading Ease checker

Flesch Reading Ease rates text on a scale where higher means easier. Plain English sits around 60–70; most academic papers land below 30. It is the score Microsoft Word, Yoast SEO and many content tools report, so it is the one editors ask about most.

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Flesch Reading Ease

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The same text, every formula

FormulaScoreReads as
Flesch Reading Ease–
Flesch-Kincaid Grade––
Gunning Fog––
SMOG–– *
Coleman-Liau––
Automated Readability––
Dale-Chall–

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Formula lab: move the inputs, watch the score

FRE = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)

62.7

Plain English

  • Starting constant+206.84
  • − 1.015 × 17 words/sentence−17.25
  • − 84.6 × 1.50 syllables/word−126.90

The Flesch Reading Ease formula

FRE = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)
  • Average sentence length (words per sentence), weighted by 1.015
  • Average word length in syllables, weighted by 84.6

What it counts

Two things only: how many words your sentences average, and how many syllables your words average. Syllables carry far more weight: going from 1.4 to 1.6 syllables per word costs about 17 points, the same as adding 17 words to every sentence.

What score to aim for

For general web content aim for 60 or higher. Consumer product pages and help docs do well at 70+. Legal, medical and technical writing often scores 30–50, which is fine when the audience is specialist.

ScoreDifficultySchool levelNotes
90–100Very easy5th gradeUnderstood by an average 11-year-old.
80–89Easy6th gradeConversational English.
70–79Fairly easy7th gradeMost consumer web copy aims here.
60–69Plain English8th–9th gradeEasily understood by 13–15 year olds.
50–59Fairly difficult10th–12th gradeFine for specialist readers.
30–49DifficultCollegeAcademic and technical prose.
0–29Very difficultCollege graduateLegal and scientific papers.

Bands from Flesch (1948).

Limits to keep in mind

Scores above 100 and below 0 are possible. A string of one-syllable, three-word sentences can exceed 100; dense academic prose can fall below 0. The scale was calibrated on 1940s American reading tests, so treat it as a comparison tool rather than a verdict.

Where it comes from

Rudolf Flesch published the formula in 1948 while consulting for the Associated Press, as a way to measure newspaper copy.

Source: Flesch, R. (1948). “A new readability yardstick.” Journal of Applied Psychology, 32(3), 221–233.

How we count syllables, sentences and words, and how our numbers compare on test passages, is documented in Readability formulas explained.

Flesch Reading Ease: common questions

What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?

60–70 is plain English that most adults read comfortably. For blog posts, product pages and support articles, 60 or above is a sensible target. Scores of 30–50 are normal for academic and legal writing.

How is Flesch Reading Ease calculated?

206.835 minus 1.015 times the average sentence length in words, minus 84.6 times the average number of syllables per word. Shorter sentences and shorter words both raise the score.

Why does my score differ between tools?

The formula is identical everywhere; the counting is not. Tools split sentences differently (headings, lists, abbreviations) and count syllables with different rules or dictionaries. A difference of a few points is normal.

Is Flesch Reading Ease the same as Flesch-Kincaid?

No. They use the same two inputs, but Flesch Reading Ease gives a 0–100 ease score (higher is easier) while the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level converts them into a US school grade (lower is easier).

Does Flesch Reading Ease affect SEO?

Google does not use readability formulas as a ranking factor. Readable copy helps indirectly: visitors understand it faster and are more likely to stay, and it tends to match the plain language people search with.