Flesch Grade Level Readability Formula improves upon the
Flesch Reading Ease
Readability Formula.
Rudolph Flesch, an author, writing consultant, and the supporter of
Plain English Movement, is the co-author of this formula along with
John P. Kincaid.
That’s why it is also called
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Readability Test. Raised in
Austria, Flesch studied law and earned a Ph.D. in English from the Columbia University.
Flesch, through his writings and speeches, advocated a return to phonics. In his article,
A
New Readability Yardstick, published in the
Journal of Applied Psychology in 1948,
Flesch proposed the
Reading Ease Readability Formula.
In 1976 the US Navy modified the Reading Ease formula to produce a grade-level
score by applying the Flesch Grade-Scale formula, or the Kincaid formula. John P.
Kincaid was assisted by Fishburne, Rogers, and Chissom, in his research.
This formula is known by different names, like Flesch-Kincaid Index,
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Score, Flesch-Kincaid Scale, Flesch-Kincaid Score,
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Score, Flesch-Kincaid Readability Statistics, Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level Index, Flesch-Kincaid Readability Index, Flesch-Kincaid readability
equation, and so on.
Originally formulated for US Navy purposes, this Formula is best suited in the field
of education.
