How to Check the Readability of Your Writing (Flesch Reading Ease)
Understand the Flesch reading ease score, what grade level means, how to read your result and simple edits that make English text easier to read.
Readers decide in seconds whether your page is easy enough to read, and most of them leave if it is not. A readability score gives you an objective check. The free Readability Score Checker calculates the Flesch reading ease score and grade level of any English text, along with the average sentence length.
Quick answer
Paste your English text and read the score. A Flesch reading ease score of 60 to 70 is plain English that most adults follow easily. Higher is easier, and web content often aims for 60 or above.
The Readability Score Checker showing the score, grade level and sentence length.
The formula
Flesch reading ease = 206.835 − 1.015 x (words per sentence) − 84.6 x (syllables per word).
Longer sentences and longer words lower the score. Short sentences and short words raise it.
How to read the score
| Score | Level | Typical reader |
|---|---|---|
| 90 to 100 | Very easy | 10-year-old |
| 80 to 90 | Easy | 12-year-old |
| 70 to 80 | Fairly easy | 13 to 14 years |
| 60 to 70 | Plain English | 15 to 17 years |
| 50 to 60 | Fairly difficult | Some college |
| 30 to 50 | Difficult | College level |
| 0 to 30 | Very difficult | Graduate level |
The grade level, from the related Flesch-Kincaid formula, estimates the years of schooling needed to follow the text.
How to make your writing easier
- Shorten sentences. Aim for an average of 15 to 20 words. Split any sentence that carries two ideas.
- Prefer short words. Use "use" instead of "utilise", "help" instead of "facilitate", "start" instead of "commence".
- Use the active voice. "The team fixed the error" is clearer than "The error was fixed by the team".
- Break up long paragraphs, and use headings and lists.
- Cut filler. Delete "in order to", "it should be noted that" and similar phrases.
- Explain jargon the first time you use it.
Example edit
Before: "It is imperative that users ensure that the documentation has been appropriately completed prior to the submission of the application." (a very difficult sentence)
After: "Check that your form is complete before you submit it." (an easy sentence)
The meaning is the same, and the second version is about three times shorter.
What the score does not measure
It does not judge accuracy, tone, structure or whether the topic is interesting. A text can score as easy and still be confusing if the ideas are in the wrong order. Technical writing may be harder by necessity, so compare against the level of your readers instead of aiming for 100. The formula was built for English, so it does not work for Bangla.
Use it for SEO and accessibility
Search engines do not use a readability score directly, but readable pages keep visitors longer and are easier to share. Accessible writing also helps readers with dyslexia, low literacy or English as a second language. Pair this check with the Keyword Density Counter and the Word Counter.
Frequently asked questions
What score should my blog posts have? Between 60 and 70 is a good target for general readers.
Does the checker work for Bangla text? No. The formula is made for English.
Can I check a whole article? Yes. Paste the full text. Very short samples give unreliable scores.
Next step
Paste a paragraph into the Readability Score Checker and try the edits above.
