What is a good Flesch-Kincaid score?

For web content and blog posts: grade level 6-8 (Flesch Reading Ease 60-70). This means an average 12-14 year old can understand it. Most successful online content scores in this range. The New York Times averages grade 8. Academic papers score 12-16 (appropriate for their audience). The key: match the score to your audience, not to some arbitrary "good" number.

What is the Flesch-Kincaid formula?

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level = 0.39 x (total words / total sentences) + 11.8 x (total syllables / total words) - 15.59. It factors in two things: average sentence length and average syllables per word. Shorter sentences and simpler words = lower grade level = easier to read.

What is the Gunning Fog Index?

Gunning Fog Index = 0.4 x [(total words / total sentences) + 100 x (complex words / total words)]. A "complex word" is any word with 3 or more syllables (excluding common suffixes like -ed, -es, -ing). A Fog Index of 12 means you need roughly 12 years of education to easily understand the text. Target: 7-8 for general audiences.

What is the difference between Flesch-Kincaid and Gunning Fog?

Both measure readability but weight different factors. Flesch-Kincaid counts all syllables — every word contributes to the score. Gunning Fog only counts "complex" words (3+ syllables) as a binary yes/no. This means Fog penalizes jargon more heavily. A text with many 3-syllable technical terms will score worse on Fog than Flesch-Kincaid. Use both: if they disagree, your text probably has a few complex words that could be simplified.

How do I improve my readability score?

Three changes that have the biggest impact: (1) Shorten sentences — break long sentences at conjunctions (and, but, because). Target 15-20 words per sentence average. (2) Replace complex words — "utilize" to "use," "approximately" to "about," "demonstrate" to "show." (3) Use active voice — "The team completed the project" instead of "The project was completed by the team." Active voice is typically 20-30% shorter.

What readability score does Google prefer for SEO?

Google does not officially use readability as a ranking factor. However, content that ranks well typically scores grade 6-9 on Flesch-Kincaid. The reason is indirect: easier-to-read content gets lower bounce rates, longer time-on-page, and more engagement — which are ranking signals. Write for your audience, not for a score.

Is Flesch-Kincaid or SMOG more accurate?

SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) is considered more accurate for healthcare and technical content because it focuses on polysyllabic words. Flesch-Kincaid is better for general content. For web writing, either works — the specific number matters less than the direction (is your text getting simpler or more complex as you edit?).

What grade level should business emails be?

Grade 5-7. Business emails should be skimmable — the reader decides in 3 seconds whether to read or skip. Short sentences, bullet points, one topic per email. The most effective cold emails test at grade 5 reading level. Internal emails can go to grade 7-8 with industry terminology your colleagues understand.

Flesch-Kincaid & Gunning Fog Scores Explained — What They Mean and How to Improve

Last updated: April 20268 min readWriting Tools

Flesch-Kincaid grade level of 7 means a 7th grader can read your text. Gunning Fog of 12 means you need 12 years of education. These numbers tell you whether your audience will actually read what you wrote — or bounce. Here is what the scores mean, what to aim for, and how to improve.

Check your readability score — Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, reading time, and more.

Open Readability Scorer

Readability Scores — Quick Reference

Score Range	Flesch-Kincaid Grade	Flesch Reading Ease	Gunning Fog	Audience Level
Very Easy	Grade 1-5	90-100	4-6	Children, very simple content
Easy	Grade 5-6	80-89	6-7	General public, most web content should be here
Fairly Easy	Grade 6-7	70-79	7-8	Most popular novels, news articles
Standard	Grade 7-8	60-69	8-10	New York Times, good blog content
Fairly Difficult	Grade 9-10	50-59	10-12	Business reports, trade publications
Difficult	Grade 11-12	30-49	12-14	Academic journals, legal documents
Very Difficult	Grade 13+	0-29	14+	PhD dissertations, tax code

What Score Should YOU Target?

Content Type	Target Grade Level	Target Fog Index	Why
Blog posts	6-8	7-9	Readers skim — simple language keeps them reading
Email marketing	5-7	6-8	3-second decision to read or delete
Landing pages	5-7	6-8	Visitors decide in 5 seconds — clarity converts
Social media	4-6	5-7	Shortest attention span of any medium
Business proposals	8-10	9-11	Professional but accessible
Academic papers	12-16	13-17	Expected by peer reviewers
Legal documents	12-18	14-20	Precision over readability (unfortunately)
Internal documentation	7-9	8-10	Colleagues should understand without re-reading

How to Lower Your Score (Improve Readability)

1. Shorten Sentences

Average sentence length is the biggest factor in both Flesch-Kincaid and Gunning Fog. Target: 15-20 words per sentence average.

Before (32 words): "The comprehensive analysis of our quarterly revenue figures, which includes data from all regional offices and subsidiary companies, indicates that there has been a significant improvement in overall performance."
After (12 + 8 words): "Our quarterly revenue improved significantly. All regional offices and subsidiaries contributed to the growth."

2. Replace Complex Words

Complex Word (3+ syllables)	Simple Alternative
Utilize	Use
Approximately	About
Demonstrate	Show
Implement	Start / Set up
Facilitate	Help
Subsequently	Then / After
Methodology	Method
Communicate	Tell / Share
Insufficient	Not enough
Comprehensive	Full / Complete

3. Use Active Voice

Passive: "The report was reviewed by the team and the findings were discussed by the stakeholders." (16 words)
Active: "The team reviewed the report and stakeholders discussed the findings." (10 words, 37% shorter)

Flesch-Kincaid vs Gunning Fog — When They Disagree

If Flesch-Kincaid says grade 7 but Gunning Fog says 12, your text has short sentences (good) but too many complex words (bad). This is common in technical writing where jargon inflates the Fog score. Solution: keep the jargon your audience knows, replace the jargon they don't.

If both scores are high: both sentence length and word complexity need work. Start with sentences — splitting long sentences often eliminates the need for transition words (consequently, additionally, furthermore) that are themselves complex.

Writing Analysis Workflow

Readability Scorer — Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, reading time, grade level
Passive Voice Detector — find and fix passive constructions
Keyword Density — ensure SEO keywords appear naturally
Headline Analyzer — optimize your title for clicks
Grammar Fixer — catch errors after simplifying
Tone Rewriter — adjust formality level
Word Counter — track article length and reading time

Paste your text — see Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog, and grade level instantly.

Open Readability Scorer

Flesch-Kincaid & Gunning Fog Scores Explained — What They Mean and How to Improve

Readability Scores — Quick Reference

What Score Should YOU Target?

How to Lower Your Score (Improve Readability)

1. Shorten Sentences

2. Replace Complex Words

3. Use Active Voice

Flesch-Kincaid vs Gunning Fog — When They Disagree

Writing Analysis Workflow

Related Posts

Free Readability Scorer

Hemingway Alternatives

Free Headline Analyzer

Grammarly Alternatives