How to Choose the Best Readability Formula for Your Document

Presently, there are more than 200 readability formulas2. Flesch Reading Ease: Useful for any kind of text.
developed by various scholars since the 1940s. Only a3. Fry Graph: Useful for any kind of text.
handful of these formulas are reliable to determine the4. Gunning Fog: Ideal for business publications and
reading-level of a sample text. This article will help youjournals.
to decide which readability formula or formulas to use5. New Fog Count: Useful for technical documents and
on your documents. Identify your industry, then selectmanuals.
the appropriate readability formula.6. FORCAST: Ideal for technical manuals and forms.
EDUCATION7. Raygor Estimate Graph: Useful for any kind of text,
The primary role of the education sector is to distillincluding literature and technical documents.
good education to students at different grade levels.MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
Written text in the form of textbooks, journals,Military and government agencies developed several
literature and so on, forms the backbone of a goodimportant readability formulas to measure the
education system. Here are different readabilityreadability of enlistment applications and technical
formulas to use on your documents according to themanuals. Military and governmental agencies typically
grade level:use these readability formulas:
1. Dale-Chall: Dale-Chall Readability formula is a general1. Automated Readability Index (ARI): Ideal for technical
formula suitable for all kinds of texts.documents and manuals.
2. Spache: Spache Readability Formula is ideal for2. Flesch Reading Ease: Useful for any kind of text.
texts for up to 3rd grade level students.3. Flesch-Kincaid: Ideally suited for manuals, forms and
3. Powers-Sumner-Kearl: The Powers-Sumner-Kearlother technical documents.
readability dormula is ideal for text geared towards4. FORCAST: Most appropriate for multiple-choice
primary age children (age 7-10).quizzes, applications, entrance forms, etc.
4. SMOG: McLaughlin's SMOG Readability Formula is5. Linsear Write: Ideal for technical manuals.
appropriate for text aimed at secondary age (4thPUBLISHING
grade to college level) readers.The publishing industry includes newspapers, magazine,
5. Flesch Reading Ease: The Flesch Reading Easebooks, journals, and online media. Publishers mostly use
readability formula is a general formula suitable for allthe following readability formulas to make their
kind of texts.documents readable:
6. Gunning Fog: The Gunning Fog Index readability1. Dale-Chall: Useful for any kind of text.
formula is ideal for education material aimed at2. Flesch Reading Ease: Useful for any kind of text.
businesses, like business magazines and journals.3. Fry Graph: Useful for any kind of text.
7. Fry Graph: The Fry Graph readability formula is a4. Spache: Ideal for texts aimed at up to 3rd grade
general formula suitable for all kind of texts.level students.
8. Coleman-Liau: The Coleman-Liau readability formula5. Powers-Sumner-Kearl: Ideal for text geared
is ideal for text aimed at 4th grade to college leveltowards primary age children (age 7-10).
readers.6. SMOG: Appropriate for text aimed at secondary
9. McAlpine EFLAW: The McAlpine EFLAW readabilityage (4th grade to college level) readers.
formula is ideal in determining the ease of reading7. Gunning Fog: Ideal for business publication and
English text for ESL/EFL (English as a Second/Foreignjournals.
Language) readers.8. Coleman-Liau: Ideal for text aimed at 4th grade to
HEALTH CAREcollege level readers.
The Health Care Industry produces a large amount of9. Raygor Estimate Graph: Useful for any kind of text,
literature relevant to patients, doctors, pharmacists,including literature and technical documents.
researchers, and so on. Here are some tips to decide10. Laesbarheds Index (LIX): Useful for documents of
which readability formula or formulas to use:any Western European language.
1. Dale-Chall: Useful for any kind of text.