How to use the Readability Scores

Hey there, 

Did you know readability scores can help you learn a lot about your writing?

While context always matters (e.g., an academic essay will have more complicated writing than a young adult novel), it’s important to make sure your content is clear and simple. If you try to be too clever or if your writing includes too much jargon, your message could get lost in translation.

ProWritingAid includes a variety of readability scores that help you assess your work’s clarity.

#1: The Flesch Reading Ease Score

The Flesch Reading Ease score is the most well-known readability test out there. We recommend targeting between 60 and 70 for fiction, editorial or business writing.

#2: The Coleman-Liau Formula

This score calculates readability based on characters per word. The formula returns a simple U.S. grade-level score from 1-12. We recommend targeting a score of 7.

#3: The Automated Readability Index

The Automated Readability Index calculates readability based on characters per word and words per sentence and corresponds to U.S. grade levels. We recommend target a score between (you guessed it) 6 and 7.

#4: The Dale-Chall Grade

The Dale-Chall Readability Formula uses a list of 3,000 words that fourth-grade U.S. students can easily understand to calculate a readability score based on how many of those words were found in the text.

Why Readability Scores Matter

"Hang on," you might be saying.

"I'm not writing for seventh graders! My readers are more advanced than that!"

You don't need to be writing for seventh graders to have your readability scores reflect that level. Studies show that the average American adult actually enjoys reading work that is at least two years below their ability.

That being said, you should take your audience into consideration when assessing readability. If you're writing for mass consumption, then between 7th and 9th grade is the best way to go.

If you're writing for businesses, academics, or other highly educated individuals, you'll want your readability score to be higher. That being said, writers with all types of audiences should aim to be clear and concise in their work.

In the case of words, bigger is not always better!