Flesch Reading Ease
Score how easy a passage is to read on the Flesch 0-100 scale.
About Flesch Reading Ease
The Flesch Reading Ease formula blends sentence length and syllable load into a 0-100 score, where higher means easier. Scores from 60 to 70 map to plain, conversational English aimed at a broad audience. Track the score when aiming copy at a general audience, because long sentences and rare multi-syllable words quietly raise the reading effort.
Formula
Flesch Reading Ease
Ease = 206.835 - 1.015 x (words/sentences) - 84.6 x (syllables/words)
- syllables
- Total syllables across the passage
Worked example
With the default values below, Flesch Reading Ease returns Reading Ease of 50.6. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.
Inputs used
- Wordsminimum 1
- 150
- Sentencesminimum 1
- 10
- Syllablesminimum 1
- 250
Results
- Reading Ease
- 50.6
- Ease Band
- Fairly difficult
- Words per Sentence
- 15.0
Step by step
- 1Values used
- 2Flesch Reading Ease
- 3Reading Ease= 50.6
- 4Ease Band= Fairly difficult
- 5Words per Sentence= 15.0
Assumptions and limits
- The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
- In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
- Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Flesch Reading Ease calculated?
Ease = 206.835 - 1.015 x (words/sentences) - 84.6 x (syllables/words) The Flesch Reading Ease formula blends sentence length and syllable load into a 0-100 score, where higher means easier. Scores from 60 to 70 map to plain, conversational English aimed at a broad audience.
Why does Flesch Reading Ease matter?
Track the score when aiming copy at a general audience, because long sentences and rare multi-syllable words quietly raise the reading effort.
What values do I need to enter?
This calculator takes 3 inputs: Words, Sentences, Syllables. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.