However, over samples of reasonable length and variation, it is not a bad metric to use. Inevitably it is not hard to construct meaningful texts that contain many hard but short words, in relatively short sentences, and to end up with a misleading grade.
It is computed from the average sentence length and the average number of syllables per word. Several different readability metrics are now available, although it is equally plain that none is particularly trustworthy.Īmong the most popular is the Flesch-Kincaid grade scale, which gives the number of years of full-time education necessary to understand the text. One approach is to simplify your English writing, to use ‘plain words’, Sir Ernest Gowers’ revolutionary concept for rendering accessible the missives of the Civil Service. When you set your sights on a real mass market, with iPhones for instance, then getting instructions across intelligibly becomes critical. When you’re selling beautifully designed computers, you may not have to worry about ‘the rest of us’ who cannot read much. Unfortunately, despite centuries of education acts and pedagogic effort, a large proportion of the adult population of the UK and USA remain functionally illiterate.ĭepending on how you measure that nebulous property, the proportion ranges between 10% and 45%.
Flesch kincaid grade level score in word for mac 2011 how to#
If you need to communicate much at all – whether inviting someone to attend a medical screening clinic, or informing them how to configure their Mac – your medium is almost certain to be written words. But being a ham teaches you the key elements of communication more vividly than abstract models such as Shannon’s: you quickly appreciate how successful communication requires two ends and a middle.
If you think that computing breeds geeks, try ‘ham’ radio.Īs a licensed ham (callsign M1BWR), I confess to sitting on beaches blurting “CQ DX” into the mike.
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