Flesch Reading Ease calculator
Calculate the 1948 Reading Ease score, place it on the usual bands, and see the arithmetic.
Paste a full paragraph or more. One short sentence can score above 100.
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Reading Ease
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Higher scores mean shorter words and shorter sentences. The result can sit above 100 or below 0. The scale is an interpretation, not part of the formula.
- Syllables (estimate)
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- Words per sentence
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- Syllables per word
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How to use the Reading Ease calculator
- Paste English prose. A single slogan will produce a number, and the short-text note will tell you not to over-read it.
- Use the large Reading Ease figure. The grade beside it is there so you can see the other formula without leaving, and it is explained on its own page.
- If you need to move the score, shorten sentences or choose shorter words, then look at words per sentence and syllables per word to see which change landed.
- Cite the formula, not a vague “readability score.” The line is on this page.
The formula and a worked sentence
Rudolf Flesch published Reading Ease in 1948. The form used here is:
206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words)
Take the sentence “The cat sat on the mat.” It has 6 words, 1 sentence, and6 syllables, one per word. The arithmetic is 206.835 − 1.015 × 6 − 84.6 × 1, which is116.100 before display rounding. The page shows116.1. The score is above 100 because the sentence is short and every word is one syllable. The label is still “very easy.” The number is not clipped to 100, because clipping would hide the formula.
Syllables are estimated, not looked up. The readability checker describes the vowel-group method. Sentence boundaries come from the sentence counter. If an unrecognized abbreviation splits one sentence into two, Reading Ease rises, sometimes sharply, because the words-per-sentence term shrinks.
How to read the bands
The bands below are the commonly published interpretation of the score. They are not part of the 1948 equation. A score of 89.96 is “easy,” and the displayed tenth may round to 90.0. The band follows the rounded tenth so the word and the number match.
| Score | Label on this page | Usual plain-language gloss |
|---|---|---|
| 90 and above | Very easy | Very short sentences and words. The formula can exceed 100. |
| 80–89 | Easy | Comfortable for most general readers. |
| 70–79 | Fairly easy | Still plain. A bit more clause weight. |
| 60–69 | Standard | A common target for public-facing prose. |
| 50–59 | Fairly difficult | Longer sentences or longer words. |
| 30–49 | Difficult | Typical of more academic or technical prose. |
| Below 30 | Very difficult | The formula can also fall below 0. |
If a style guide asks for a U.S. grade instead of this scale, use theFlesch–Kincaid grade calculator. The weights are not the same, so do not convert one into the other by feel.
Limitations
- The score ignores whether the short words are common. It ignores cohesion, tone, and prior knowledge.
- Under about 100 words, treat the result as a demonstration of the formula, not a property of a document.
- Non-English text and text with many numerals will not match a hand count that pronounces every number.
- Nothing on this page rewrites a sentence to raise the score. Editing stays with you.
Questions people ask
What is a good Flesch Reading Ease score?
For prose aimed at the general public, people often hope to land in the standard band, roughly 60 to 70, or easier. “Good” depends on the reader. A scientific method section is allowed to score as difficult. The band is a label for the number, not a passing grade.
Can the score be higher than 100 or below 0?
Yes. The 1948 formula is not capped. A very short, very simple sentence can land above 100. A sentence packed with long words can land below 0. This page shows the raw result and says when it left the usual range.
How is this different from the Flesch–Kincaid grade?
Reading Ease rises when the text gets easier. The grade level rises when the text gets harder. The weights are different, so the two numbers are not a simple mirror. Use the grade calculator when a guide asks for a U.S. grade, and use this page when it asks for Reading Ease.
Why might my score differ from another website?
The word count, the sentence count, and especially the syllable count are implemented differently across tools. This site documents all three. A dictionary-based syllable count will not match the vowel-group estimate used here, even when the formula line is the same.
Do you store the passage to compute the score?
No. The score is computed in your browser. The passage is not uploaded.