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Flesch Reading Ease

Score text from 0 to 100 on the classic readability scale.

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Rudolf Flesch published this scale in 1948. It runs from 0 to 100 and uses only two inputs: average sentence length and average syllables per word.

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Flesch Reading Ease, where higher is easier

Your longest sentences

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Quick Tool Overview

The Flesch Reading Ease calculator scores text from 0 to 100 on the scale Rudolf Flesch published in 1948, still the most widely used readability measure in the world. Higher is easier: 60 to 70 is plain English, below 30 is difficult academic prose.

What it does
Calculates the Flesch Reading Ease score
You give it
A hundred words or more
You get back
A score from 0 to 100 with its band named
Best for
The standard readability benchmark, including legal requirements
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About the Flesch Reading Ease

Rudolf Flesch published the Reading Ease formula in 1948, and it remains the most widely used readability measure in the world. It runs from 0 to 100, where higher is easier: 90 to 100 is very easy and readable by an eleven-year-old, 60 to 70 is plain English, and anything below 30 is genuinely difficult academic prose.

The formula uses two inputs: average sentence length and average syllables per word. That is all — no vocabulary list, no grammar analysis. Its longevity comes from that simplicity and from the fact that those two measures capture most of what makes text hard. Several US states require insurance policies to score above a set threshold, which makes it one of the few readability formulas with legal weight.

Key features of the Flesch Reading Ease

Score bands named

Very easy, easy, plain English, difficult — so the number translates into a judgement.

Working shown

Average sentence length and syllables per word displayed, since those are the only two inputs.

Identifies the culprit

Whether sentence length or word length is costing you more, so you know which lever to pull.

Out-of-range scores handled

Negative scores and scores above 100 are possible and are explained rather than clipped.

Honest about technical text

The page notes that repeated familiar jargon is penalised unfairly, so the score is a comparison tool.

How to use the Flesch Reading Ease

  1. 1

    Paste your text

    At least a hundred words for a reliable score.

  2. 2

    Read the score

    A number from 0 to 100, with the band it falls into named.

  3. 3

    Check the working

    Average sentence length and syllables per word are shown, since those are the only two inputs.

  4. 4

    See what to change

    Whichever input is hurting the score most is identified, so you know whether to shorten sentences or words.

Frequently asked questions

Sixty to seventy for general audiences, which Flesch called plain English. Above 80 is easy enough for most adults regardless of education. Below 50 is difficult and below 30 is genuinely hard academic writing.

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