Glossary
Flesch Reading Ease
A readability formula that scores text on a 0–100 scale based on sentence and word length.
Definition
The Flesch Reading Ease formula is a readability test developed by Rudolf Flesch in 1948 that produces a score between 0 and 100 based on average words per sentence and average syllables per word. Higher scores indicate text that is easier to read.
Why It Matters
The Flesch Reading Ease score provides an objective, standardized measure of text complexity. A general-audience web article should target 60–70. SEO tools like Yoast display Flesch scores as a content quality signal.
Examples
90–100Very easy — children's books, basic instructions
70–80Easy — popular fiction, consumer-facing guides
60–70Standard — most web articles, news writing
30–50Difficult — academic, professional, and technical writing
Common Mistakes
Treating 100 as the ideal target.
Chasing the score rather than genuine clarity.
Ignoring formatting.
Using Flesch as the only readability measure.