Reading Level Estimator (Flesch)
Estimate the Flesch Reading Ease score of your text to gauge how easy it is to understand.
How to use this tool
- Enter text in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your flesch reading ease and the full breakdown beneath it.
Estimate the Flesch Reading Ease score of your text to gauge how easy it is to understand.
How it works
The Flesch Reading Ease score measures how easy a piece of English text is to read. It uses average sentence length and average syllable count per word to produce a score from 0 (extremely difficult) to 100 (very easy). A score around 60-70 is considered plain English suitable for most general audiences.
Paste your text into the field and the tool calculates the score automatically. Higher scores mean shorter sentences and simpler words. Lower scores indicate dense, academic, or technical prose.
Writers use this tool to match their content to their target audience. A legal document may intentionally score low, while a children's article should score above 80. Content marketers and SEO professionals often aim for 60+ to reach broad audiences and improve dwell time.
Worked example
Evaluate a landing page introduction
- Copy the opening two paragraphs of your landing page.
- Paste them into the Text field.
- Read the Flesch score, e.g. 52.
- Rewrite long sentences to be shorter and replace polysyllabic words where possible.
- Re-check until the score reaches 60 or above.
An improved introduction with a Flesch score of 64, readable by a wider audience.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Testing only a single paragraph -- score the full article for a representative result.
- Chasing a high score by writing unnaturally short, choppy sentences -- readability also depends on flow and coherence.
- Forgetting that the Flesch formula is designed for English; it gives unreliable results for other languages.
Key terms
- Flesch Reading Ease
- A readability formula that scores text 0-100 based on sentence length and syllable count; higher means easier.
- Syllable
- A unit of pronunciation containing a single vowel sound; multi-syllable words increase text difficulty.
- Grade level
- A related metric (Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level) that expresses readability as a US school grade equivalent.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Flesch Reading Ease score?
- Scores range from 0 (very hard) to 100 (very easy). A score of 60–70 is considered plain English, suitable for a general audience.
- How is the score calculated?
- Flesch Reading Ease = 206.835 − (1.015 × average sentence length) − (84.6 × average syllables per word).