SECTION 1 - BACKGROUND INFORMATION

How to measure readability?


Many formulas are based on word and sentence length:

  • None are 100% accurate, but most are good approximations
  • Flesch-Kincaid and others give a grade-level score
  • Flesch Reading Ease is based on a 0-100 scale
    (“very confusing” to “very easy”)



Important caveats about readability formulas:

  • They don’t assess organization, formatting, and page density
  • Some short words aren’t well understood
  • Automated tools may be less accurate
  • The most accurate results can require time or money