Reading Level, Reading Ease, and Readability

Reading level and readability scores are measures of how easy or difficult material is to read. Authors should always be aware of their target readers and should write at a level appropriate to them. A book aimed at children will be much different from a book aimed at young adults.

There are various ways to calculate the reading level; Gunning-Fog and Flesch-Kincaid are two examples. Flesch-Kincaid is very popular and reports the grade level of the material. If the Flesch-Kincaid score is 8.5, then the material should be understood by the average eighth-grader. The higher this score, the harder the material is to read. Finding the Flesch-Kincaid score is easy in Microsoft Word. In the Options dialog box, set to check grammar with a spell-check and set to report the readability statistics. After the next spell-check is complete, a dialog box will be displayed showing the readability scores.

Another way to measure readability is with the Flesch reading ease score. With this measure, the lower the score the easier the material is to read. The Flesch reading ease score is also reported by Microsoft Word.

Just because the reading level and reading ease scores are appropriate for your target market does not necessarily mean the material is easy to read. These scores are mathematical equations that encompass various parameters. In general, short sentences and words with only one or two syllables result in lower reading level and higher reading ease scores. But, readability is more of an art form than a science. This is where the author must apply his or her craft. Does the material make sense? Will all of the words be understood by the average target reader? If not, look for alternatives. Readability scores should be used as a guide, but when it comes down to it, the author is the one who must make sure the material is written in a manner that the target reader will be able to understand it.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.