Today, there are more than 200 readability formulas developed by various scholars since the 1940s. Only a handful of these formulas are reliable in determining the reading level of a sample text. This article will help you decide which readability formula(s) to use in your documents. Identify your industry, then select the appropriate readability formula.
EDUCATION
The primary role of the education sector is to distill a good education for students at different grade levels. Written text in the form of textbooks, magazines, literature, etc. forms the backbone of a good educational system. Here are different readability formulas to use for your documents based on grade level:
1. Dale-Chall: The Dale-Chall readability formula is a general formula suitable for all types of texts.
2. Spache: Spache Readability Formula is ideal for texts for students up to 3rd grade.
3. Powers-Sumner-Kearl: The Powers-Sumner-Kearl readability puzzle is ideal for text aimed at primary-age children (ages 7-10).
4. SMOG: McLaughlin’s SMOG Readability Formula is suitable for texts aimed at high school readers (fourth grade through college level).
5. Flesch Reading Ease: The Flesch Reading Ease readability formula is a general formula suitable for all types of texts.
6. Gunning Fog: The readability formula of the Gunning Fog Index is ideal for educational material aimed at companies, such as business magazines and newspapers.
7. Fry Graph: The Fry Graph readability formula is a general formula suitable for all types of text.
8. Coleman-Liau: The Coleman-Liau readability formula is ideal for texts aimed at college-level 4th grade readers.
9. McAlpine EFLAW: The McAlpine EFLAW readability formula is ideal for determining the readability of English text for ESL/EFL readers.
HEALTH CARE
The health care industry produces a large amount of literature relevant to patients, physicians, pharmacists, researchers, etc. Here are some tips for deciding which readability formula(s) to use:
1. Dale-Chall: Useful for any type of text.
2. Flesch Readability: Useful for any type of text.
3. Fry Graph: Useful for any type of text.
4. Gunning Fog: Ideal for trade publications and newspapers.
5. New fog count: useful for technical documents and manuals.
6. FORCAST: Ideal for technical manuals and forms.
7. Raygor Estimate Plot – Useful for any type of text, including literature and technical papers.
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
Military and government agencies developed several important readability formulas to measure the readability of enlistment applications and technical manuals. Military and government agencies commonly use these readability formulas:
1. Automated Readability Index (ARI): Ideal for technical documents and manuals.
2. Flesch Readability: Useful for any type of text.
3. Flesch-Kincaid: Ideal for manuals, forms and other technical documents.
4. FORCAST: Best suited for multiple choice quizzes, applications, input forms, etc.
5. Linsear Write: Ideal for technical manuals.
PUBLICATION
The publishing industry includes newspapers, magazines, books, journals, and online media. Publishers mainly use the following readability formulas to make their documents readable:
1. Dale-Chall: Useful for any type of text.
2. Flesch Readability: Useful for any type of text.
3. Fry Graph: Useful for any type of text.
4. Spache: Ideal for texts aimed at students up to 3rd grade.
5. Powers-Sumner-Kearl: ideal for text aimed at children of primary age (7 to 10 years).
6. SMOG: Appropriate for texts aimed at high school readers (4th grade through college level).
7. Gunning Fog – Ideal for trade publications and magazines.
8. Coleman-Liau: Ideal for texts aimed at college-level 4th grade readers.
9. Raygor Estimate Plot – Useful for any type of text, including literature and technical papers.
10. Laesbarheds Index (LIX): Useful for documents in any Western European language.