Abstract :
A readability formula assigns to a piece of text a numerical estimate of the reading skill a person needs to understand the material. Most formulas are based on two parameters: word length and sentence length. They can provide an index of difficulty but they do not necessarily indicate what is wrong with a too difficult passage, nor do they show how to clear up foggy writing. This Forum is comprised of six essays, both pro and con, on the use of readability formulas. They provide background on the more common formulas and explore their general limitations. Ed.
