What Is a Good Flesch Score?
A good Flesch Reading Ease score for general audiences is 60-70, which indicates content that most adults can easily understand. Higher scores (70-100) mean very easy reading, while lower scores (below 50) indicate more difficult text.
Quick Answer
A Flesch Reading Ease score of 60-70 is good for most content. Scores above 70 are very easy to read; scores below 50 are difficult.
Explanation
The Flesch Reading Ease formula measures text difficulty based on sentence length and syllables per word. The formula produces a score from 0-100, where higher numbers indicate easier reading.
Scores between 60-70 are considered 'standard' and match the reading ability of most adults. This range works well for blog posts, marketing copy, news articles, and general web content.
A score of 70-80 is 'fairly easy' and appropriate for conversational content, instructions, and content aimed at wider audiences. Scores above 80 are best for children's content or basic instructions.
Scores below 60 become progressively harder to read. Academic and technical content often scores 30-50, which is acceptable when writing for specialized audiences who expect complex material.
Examples
| Content Type | Target Level |
|---|---|
| Reader's Digest | 65 (standard) |
| Time Magazine | 52 (fairly difficult) |
| Harvard Law Review | 32 (very difficult) |
| Average novel | 60-70 (standard) |
| Insurance policies | 10-30 (extremely difficult) |
| Children's books | 90-100 (very easy) |
Tips to Improve Readability
Aim for 60+ for most web content to ensure accessibility.
Use shorter sentences to quickly improve your Flesch score.
Replace multi-syllable words with simpler alternatives where possible.
Read your content aloud—if you struggle to say it, your readers will struggle to read it.
Check Your Content with Our Tools
Use the readability checker to analyze your content instantly. Get Flesch scores, grade levels, and specific suggestions to improve your writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Flesch score calculated?
The formula is: 206.835 - 1.015 × (words/sentences) - 84.6 × (syllables/words). Shorter sentences and simpler words produce higher scores.
Can my Flesch score be too high?
For most content, no. Simpler is usually better. However, if you're writing for experts who expect technical depth, an extremely high score might seem condescending.
What's the difference between Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level?
Flesch Reading Ease gives a 0-100 score (higher = easier). Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level tells you the US school grade needed to understand the text (lower = easier for more people).