What is the Flesch-Kincaid test ?
The Flesch-Kincaid test measures how easy a piece of text is to read. It was developed in the 1940s and is one of the most widely used Readability tools in the world.
It looks at two things: how long your sentences are, and how many syllables your words have. Longer sentences and longer words mean a harder score.
The two Flesch-Kincaid scores
Flesch Reading Ease
A score from 0 to 100. Higher is easier.
Most UK Government documents aim for 60 or above. Easy Read documents typically score 80 or higher.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
A US school grade number. Grade 8 = age 13–14.
Our tool converts this into a UK Reading Age so it makes sense for UK users.
Flesch Reading Ease score guide
| Score | Difficulty | Typical Reader |
|---|---|---|
| 90 – 100 | Very Easy | Age 11 and under |
| 70 – 90 | Easy | Age 11 – 14 |
| 60 – 70 | Plain English | Age 14 – 16 |
| 30 – 60 | Difficult | Adult / Graduate |
| 0 – 30 | Very Difficult | Academic / Specialist |
Common questions
For most audiences, aim for 60 or above. If you write for people with learning disabilities or low literacy, aim for 80 or above. UK Government accessibility guidance recommends plain English (60–70) as a minimum.
Use shorter sentences. Choose simple words over long ones. Break up complex paragraphs. Avoid jargon. Or — let Claru convert your Document to Easy Read automatically.
Not exactly. Reading Age is a UK term. Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level uses US school grades. Our Readability Checker converts the grade level into a UK Reading Age so the result is easier to understand.
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