Reading Counter
Estimate the reading time of your text and its difficulty with the French-adapted Flesch index. Ideal for writers and bloggers.
Flesch Reading Ease Index (French-adapted)
Everything about the readability counter
Why analyze your text's readability?
Hard-to-read text drives readers away: according to the Nielsen Norman Group, users read only 20–28% of content on a web page on average. A high Flesch score (60–80) ensures most readers will understand your text effortlessly.
Reading time has become an editorial standard. Medium displays it at the top of every article, and studies show an ideal blog post sits around 7 minutes of reading (~1,400 words). This tool gives you that metric instantly.
Analysis runs entirely in your browser. No text is sent to a server — your drafts, confidential content, or personal data stay on your device.
Use cases
- Bloggers and content writers
- Check that your article is accessible to the widest audience before publishing. A Flesch score between 60 and 70 matches a general-audience reading level.
- Teachers and trainers
- Match the difficulty of your materials to your students' level. A score above 80 suits elementary school; 50–70 works for high school.
- Corporate communicators
- Ensure press releases, internal emails, and annual reports are understandable by all employees regardless of seniority.
- Authors and publishers
- Measure a manuscript's reading difficulty before sending it to your editor. Compare scores across chapters to maintain a consistent style.
How does the analysis work?
Paste your text into the input area. The tool instantly counts words, characters, sentences, and syllables. Reading time (200 words/min) and speaking time (130 words/min) update in real time.
The Flesch index is calculated using the French-adapted formula: 207 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 73.6 × (syllables ÷ words). The result ranges from 0 (very difficult) to 100 (very easy), with a color-coded gauge for instant readability.
Syllables are counted by detecting French vowel groups (including accented vowels: é, è, ê, à, ù, etc.). This counting method is a reliable approximation for standard French prose.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the French-adapted Flesch index?
- It's an adaptation of the American Flesch Reading Ease formula, recalibrated for French syllable structure. The formula is 207 − 1.015 × (words/sentences) − 73.6 × (syllables/words). A score of 60–70 means the text is easily understandable by an average adult.
- Are the results reliable for non-French texts?
- Word counting and reading time work for all languages. However, the Flesch index uses syllable counting based on French vowels — for English or Spanish texts, the score will be approximate.
- How is reading time estimated?
- Reading time is based on 200 words per minute, the measured average for an adult reading standard prose. Speaking time uses 130 words per minute, matching a comfortable presentation pace.
- Is my text sent to a server?
- No. The entire analysis — counting, Flesch calculation, time estimation — runs in your browser. No data is transmitted or stored.