A 'free' readability checker
For years there have been formulae for checking the 'readability' of written work and now they are computerised. The theory is based on ensuring that short words are used rather than long words and short sentences rather than long (average number of syllables per word and average number of words per sentence).
There is a simple way to check the readability of your own work. If you use Microsft Word (who doesn't?) then there is a little known gem hidden away called the Flesch Reading Ease measure. Just click on Tools, Spelling & Grammar. Go right through the spell check and there it is. Ignore the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (it's not helpful). The Reading Ease measure will give a rating - the higher the score the better. As an example, I ran two important documents through it (opposite)....
NB Do remember that the final test of whether any piece of writing meets its goal of communicating happens when humans read it!
Does it work?
To check it out I compared the US Declarations of Independence with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This is how they compared
Click to read all Writer's Tips Blog posts
For years there have been formulae for checking the 'readability' of written work and now they are computerised. The theory is based on ensuring that short words are used rather than long words and short sentences rather than long (average number of syllables per word and average number of words per sentence).
There is a simple way to check the readability of your own work. If you use Microsft Word (who doesn't?) then there is a little known gem hidden away called the Flesch Reading Ease measure. Just click on Tools, Spelling & Grammar. Go right through the spell check and there it is. Ignore the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (it's not helpful). The Reading Ease measure will give a rating - the higher the score the better. As an example, I ran two important documents through it (opposite)....
NB Do remember that the final test of whether any piece of writing meets its goal of communicating happens when humans read it!
Does it work?
To check it out I compared the US Declarations of Independence with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. This is how they compared
Click to read all Writer's Tips Blog posts