Readability Scores Explained: Flesch, Flesch-Kincaid, and What to Target
Flesch Reading Ease (0-100)
90-100: Very easy (5th grade). 70-80: Easy (7th grade). 60-70: Standard (8-9th grade). 50-60: Fairly difficult (10-12th grade). 30-50: Difficult (college). 0-30: Very difficult (professional/academic). Target 60-70 for general web content, 70-80 for marketing copy, 40-60 for technical documentation.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level
FK Grade Level converts to a US school grade: 8.0 means an 8th grader can understand it. Most news is written at grade 6-8. Medical documents are often grade 14+. The CDC recommends health materials be written at grade 6-8 for public understanding.
Improving Readability
Shorten sentences: average 15-20 words. Use simpler words: 'use' instead of 'utilize'. Active voice: 'we found' instead of 'it was found'. Shorter paragraphs: 3-5 sentences max. Break up dense information with bullet points and headers.
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