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Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Calculator

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level

Returns a US school grade level. A score of 8 means an average 8th grader can read it. The formula: 0.39 x (words / sentences) + 11.8 x (syllables / words) - 15.59. Paste text below to score it. Nothing is uploaded.

The scale

Band Meaning
5 to 6 Easy, upper elementary.
7 to 9 Plain, middle school; good for a wide audience.
10 to 12 Fairly hard, high school.
13+ College and beyond.
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level - Paste text to score it
- Flesch Reading Ease
- Gunning Fog
- SMOG
- Coleman-Liau
0 Words
0 Sentences

Other formulas

All readability scores

Questions people ask

What Flesch-Kincaid grade should I aim for?

Grade 7 to 9 reaches the widest audience. Government and health writing often targets grade 6 to 8; keep technical content lower where you can.

How is the Flesch-Kincaid grade calculated?

0.39 times average words per sentence, plus 11.8 times average syllables per word, minus 15.59. The result maps directly to a US school grade.

Is a lower grade always better?

For clarity, usually yes, but match the audience. A specialist audience does not need everything reduced to grade 6.