Flesch Reading Ease

The Flesch Reading Ease score is one of the most widely used readability metrics. Higher scores indicate easier-to-read content.

Score Interpretation

Score	Difficulty	Typical Audience
90-100	Very Easy	5th grade
80-90	Easy	6th grade
70-80	Fairly Easy	7th grade
60-70	Standard	8th-9th grade
50-60	Fairly Difficult	10th-12th grade
30-50	Difficult	College
0-30	Very Difficult	College graduate

Formula

206.835 - 1.015 × (words / sentences) - 84.6 × (syllables / words)

The formula penalizes:

• Long sentences (more words per sentence)
• Complex words (more syllables per word)

Recommendations

For technical documentation:

• API Reference: 30-50 is acceptable
• User Guides: Aim for 50-60
• Tutorials: Target 60-70

Improving Your Score

1. Shorter sentences - Break up complex sentences
2. Simpler words - Use "use" instead of "utilize"
3. Active voice - "The API returns data" vs "Data is returned by the API"
4. Remove filler - Cut unnecessary words