Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Calculator
Calculate the Flesch-Kincaid grade level and reading ease of text.
Text Tools Runs in your browser
What is the Flesch-Kincaid grade level?
A Flesch-Kincaid grade of 8 means a typical US eighth-grader could follow the text on first read. The calculator derives that grade from two inputs, average sentence length and average syllables per word, and shows the companion reading-ease score alongside it. Most consumer content targets grade 7 to 9; if your draft scores 14, shorter sentences will bring it down fastest.
How to use the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
- 1 Paste at least a full paragraph; short fragments skew the formula.
- 2 Read the grade level and the 0–100 reading-ease score.
- 3 Shorten sentences and swap polysyllabic words where the grade runs high.
- 4 Re-test the revision to confirm the grade dropped.
What you can use it for
- Making web content readable for a wide audience.
- Hitting a target reading level for documentation.
- Simplifying legal or medical text for the public.
- Checking that lesson material suits a grade.
Frequently asked questions
What does the grade number mean?
It corresponds to a US school grade: 7 means a seventh-grader could understand the passage. Plain-language guidelines for public-facing content usually aim for grade 8 or below.
How is the score calculated?
The formula is 0.39 times average words per sentence, plus 11.8 times average syllables per word, minus 15.59. Syllables are estimated from vowel groups, which is the standard approximation.
How can I lower the grade level?
Sentence length moves the needle most in practice: cutting a 40-word sentence into two 20-word sentences shifts the grade more than swapping one long word. Do both for stubborn passages.
Related tools
More Text Tools
More tools like this:
All Text Tools