What Is a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level?
Using the scale of 0-100, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level is a tool used for measuring and reporting the readability of English text. It does this by considering the average number of words per sentence and the average number of syllables in a word to determine how complex the text is. It then converts that complexity level into a score.
In most cases, the lower the result a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level produces, the more complex the text is. A score between 60 and 70 is generally considered a desirable readability level. While it may be an important tool for comparing text readability, a specific passage is deemed appropriate for a given reader depending on many factors, key among them being the reader’s background knowledge, her interest in the subject and the level of support she received during reading.