07 Oct How To Improve The Readability Of Your Writing
The term ‘usability’ is a well-known concept in the world of digital communication and advertising. This principle is an especially important guideline when brands create websites; users should be able to find relevant information effectively and efficiently when engaging with online platforms. If users don’t find the information they need within a reasonable time, they will simply seek another source.
A lesser known principle, yet a critical one, is readability.
Readability is defined as ‘the ease with which a reader can understand a written text’ and this depends on finding the right balance between content (vocabulary and syntax) and typography (font, spacing, and paragraph length).
Similar to usability, the aim of readability is to ensure that your audience understands the argument you are trying to make, the supporting claims/facts, and the overall message of the piece.
It’s complicated
The mistake writers often make is that they think complex subjects require the use of complicated language, terminology, and tonality. It may come as a surprise, to those writers, to learn that most presidential candidates speak at grade 6-8 level.
In a research study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University’s Language Technologies Institute, most candidates use words and grammar typical of high school students. Speeches were analysed based on elements such as average sentence length, vocabulary, and the number of syllables per word.
Historically, President Lincoln set the highest benchmark – he boasted grammar at the 11th grade, with Donald Trump and President George W. Bush ranking at 5th-grade grammar levels.
The Flesch-model
There are several ways that one can use to measure a piece of text’s readability. According to the Readability-score website, there are several algorithms available to measure scores. These computer-calculated tools will estimate what level of education someone needs to understand your piece of text easily.
The most frequently-used algorithms are Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning-Fog, Coleman-Liau Index, SMOG Index, and Automated Readability Index. Microsoft Office Outlook and Microsoft Office Word, for instance, use the Flesch model. This model tests readability based on the average number of syllables per word and words per sentence. The Flesch Reading Ease test rates text on a 100-point scale. The higher the score, the easier it is for a reader to understand the content. Ideally, writers should aim for a score between 60 and 70.
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test is another methodology available for writers. It rates text based on a U.S school grade level. A score of 8.0 implies that an 8th-grade student would be able to grasp the text sufficiently.
Some simple principles
Although these algorithms can be fairly complicated, there are a few simple principles that writers can implement to ensure that their piece of content receives a good readability score.
According to James Chartrand from “Men with pens“, these are some of the most effective ways:
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Short sentences
If a sentence is long, it tends to become complicated and difficult to follow. Instead of trying to make too many points in one sentence, rather split it up into two. A good principle to follow is breaking up sentences that contain too many commas. This will immediately improve readability. The same applies for the length of paragraphs. In an online environment, shorter paragraphs are much more digestible.
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Avoid jargon
It can be tempting to use a lot of jargon, but if your audience isn’t familiar with the popular terms in a specific industry, it can negatively affect their engagement with the writing. Also be aware of acronyms. Many writers make the mistake of assuming an audience is familiar with the parenthetical definition. Rather play on the safe side and spell out abbreviations, or avoid them all together.
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What is the point?
You need to ensure that you keep your readers’ attention at all times. Although metaphors and examples are useful ways to explain a complicated point, using too many will not clarify – it will only confuse. Make sure that your points are clear and that you aren’t trying to make too many statements in one sentence or paragraph.
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There’s an app for that
An extremely useful app to evaluate the readability of a piece is the Hemingway app. It will highlight the sentences that are difficult to understand and are negatively affecting your readability score. As with any computer program, it is important to keep in mind that your knowledge and judgement as a writer still trumps the recommendations.
Practice makes perfect
The more you use readability as a guideline, the easier it will get.
My golden rule is that proofreading a piece at least twice after it has been completed is a very important step for any writer. If possible, an external, qualified party should review the work before it is published.
What readability does not cover is the level of relevance and uniqueness of the piece. It is, therefore, important to remember that getting good readability score is not the only goal. Writing should always be based on solid research, interesting insights, and have a clear point of view.