Flesch Reading Ease Calculator

Instantly score your text on the Flesch Reading Ease scale. Higher scores mean your writing is easier to read.

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Flesch Reading Ease

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Scale 0–100. Higher = easier to read. 90–100: Very easy. 70–80: Easy. 60–70: Standard. 50–60: Fairly difficult. 30–50: Difficult. 0–30: Very difficult.

Breakdown

Paste your text above and click Calculate Score to see your Flesch Reading Ease score.

What Is the Flesch Reading Ease Score?

How it works

The Flesch Reading Ease formula was developed by Rudolf Flesch in 1948. It calculates a score based on average sentence length and average number of syllables per word. Longer sentences and more syllables = lower (harder) score.

Score reference

90–100 is very easy (5th grade). 70–80 is easy (6th grade). 60–70 is standard (7th grade). 50–60 is fairly difficult (high school). 30–50 is difficult (college). 0–30 is very difficult (professional/academic).

Who uses it

The U.S. Department of Defense uses Flesch Reading Ease for evaluating documents. Many insurance companies are required by law to write policies above a certain Flesch score. Bloggers and content writers use it to gauge accessibility.

How to Improve Your Flesch Reading Ease Score

Shorten your sentences

Average sentence length is the biggest driver of your score. Aim for an average of 15–20 words per sentence. Mix short punchy sentences with longer ones to keep rhythm without losing clarity.

Use simpler words

Words with fewer syllables score better. Replace "utilize" with "use," "demonstrate" with "show," "approximately" with "about." Simpler words are almost always clearer too.

Break up paragraphs

While paragraph length doesn't directly affect the score, shorter paragraphs make text feel less dense and more approachable — which complements a good Flesch score with better overall readability.