Flesch Reading Ease calculator
Aim for 60 or above for business writing. 60–70 is plain English; 70–80 is easy for most adults. Higher scores mean easier text.
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Flesch Reading Ease
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Formula: 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)
- Words
- 0
- Sentences
- 1
- Syllables
- 0
How to read the Reading Ease score
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 90–100 | Very easy (about 5th grade) |
| 80–89 | Easy (6th grade) |
| 70–79 | Fairly easy (7th grade) |
| 60–69 | Plain English (8th–9th grade) |
| 50–59 | Fairly difficult (10th–12th grade) |
| 30–49 | Difficult (college) |
| 0–29 | Very difficult (college graduate) |
Higher scores mean easier text.
Where the Flesch Reading Ease comes from
Published by Rudolf Flesch in 1948 in the Journal of Applied Psychology. It is the most widely used readability score and appears in Microsoft Word, Yoast and many style guides.
Other readability formulas
- Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level: 0.39 × (words ÷ sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words) − 15.59
- Gunning Fog Index: 0.4 × [(words ÷ sentences) + 100 × (complex words ÷ words)]
- SMOG Index: 1.043 × √(polysyllables × 30 ÷ sentences) + 3.1291
- Coleman–Liau Index: 0.0588 × L − 0.296 × S − 15.8 (L = letters per 100 words, S = sentences per 100 words)
- Automated Readability Index: 4.71 × (characters ÷ words) + 0.5 × (words ÷ sentences) − 21.43
Questions people ask
What does a readability score of 60 mean?
A Flesch Reading Ease of 60 is the bottom of the “plain English” band: most adults and 13–15 year olds can read it easily. It is a sensible minimum for business email and web pages.
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
60 or above for most business writing, 70+ for consumer-facing copy. Academic papers often score 30–50 and legal contracts under 30.
Can a Flesch Reading Ease score be negative or over 100?
Yes. The formula is not capped. Very long sentences full of long words can push it below 0, and very short sentences of one-syllable words above 100.
Is Flesch Reading Ease the same as Flesch–Kincaid?
No. They use the same inputs, but Reading Ease gives a 0–100 score where higher is easier, while Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level gives a US school grade where lower is easier.