I was amazed years ago when I discovered that there is a formula for testing copy for how hard it is to understand (its level of comprehension difficulty). The Gunning fog index measures the readability of a sample of copy. The resulting number is the number of years of formal education that a person requires to easily understand the text on the first reading. If the copy has a fog index of 12, it has the reading level of a U.S. high school senior. Texts that are designed for a wide audience need a fog index of less than 12.
The Gunning fog index can be calculated in the following way:
Take a sample of around 100 words.Count the number of sentences. Divide the number of words by the number of sentences to find the average sentence length.
Count words with three or more syllables, excluding names, compound words, or common suffixes such as -es, -ed, or -ing.
Calculate the percentage of complex words.
Add the average sentence length and the percentage of complex words.
Multiply the result by 0.4.
Less than 12 and the average reader would have no problem with it.
Time Magazine rates 11.
Readers' Digest rates 9.
WHat does you copy rate?
The principles of easy-to-understand copy are these: Short sentences. Simple words.
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1 comment:
Just a suggestion that instead of the complex mathematics formula, which works fine. If you use MS Word you can get a very similar readability level called the Flesch-Kincaid (sorry about the spelling of their names). You must select options first, check the Readability Statistics box, do a spell check...At the end you will have the FK Grade Level!
Your text was Grade 8.8 :)
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