As a writer, there are several tools and parameters that help you make the best out of your writing. One of which is Grammarly and its readability score.
The Grammarly readability score is a parameter that helps writers write a good text that is easy to read, and passes its information in the clearest of ways.
It is easy to lose your reader in written communication than in verbal communication. This is because, in verbal communication, the recipient of your message can easily interrupt you if something is unclear or needs further explanation.
However, in written communication, your recipient can’t see you or request an explanation. It will have to make do with whatever information it can comprehend.
This is why it is advised that you use the best tools that help you make your writing better. And Grammarly is one of them.
The Grammarly readability score helps you check your writing to ensure your information is passed in the best way possible.
What is Readability?
Readability in the simplest of terms is how easy-to-read your article is. In other words, it is the quality of your writing.
If your text has a high readability value, it means that your readers will be able to understand your sentences easily. And if it’s low, they may still be able to understand what you’re saying but in a more stressful way.
This is why it’s advisable to go for high readability scores when writing. Because it reduces misunderstandings and allows your reader to easily comprehend the information you’re trying to pass through.
More so, as a writer, you should be more concerned about how readable your content is, as it shows how engaged your readers are with it.
One way to have this under control is to reduce the number of complex words that you use. I’m not saying they’re bad, but using too many of them requires lots of attention from your reader. Honestly, nobody has the patience to give.
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Why Is Readability Important?
This question is similar to asking “Why is oxygen important?” The answer to that is endless. Oxygen is life to every living thing on earth, so is readability.
Aiming for a high readability increases the chances of your reader understanding your text easily. It reduces the chances of misunderstanding, and lets your reader understand your information directly.
In business, especially in marketing, the bulk of your sales will depend on how easily your readers understand and engage with your content.
For example, if your product description is filled with lots of complex details, there’s a high chance your readers will disappear. And oh well, as well as your money.
Having established this, I think the real question should be “How can I measure my readability?
What is a Readability Score?
We’re gradually getting to the real story of today! A readability score is a number that tells you how easy it will be to read a particular text.
Grammarly’s readability score is the most trusted. Because, it is based on the average length of sentences and words in your document, as well as a formula known as the Flesch reading-ease test.
When working on a document in the Grammarly Editor, under the readability section, you’ll see a numerical score. The higher the number, the easier it is to read your document.
So, when next you are writing a text, aim for a high readability score, from 60 or higher. With a score of 60, your document will be easy to read for most people with at least an eighth-grade education. (That’s an average 13-year-old).
And if you’re writing for adults, having a readability score of 70 doesn’t mean you sound like an eighth-grader. In fact it tells you that your reader will easily understand your text without stress.
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Who is Grammarly Readability Score Best For?
Grammarly readability score is beneficial to a lot of user, like:
- Writers and Authors: Writers and authors can use Grammarly’s readability score to gauge the accessibility of their writing to their target audience. It helps them ensure that their content is clear and easy to understand, regardless of the complexity of the subject matter.
- Content Creators: Bloggers, journalists, and content creators can use Grammarly’s readability score to optimize their content for online consumption. By making their writing more accessible, they can attract and retain a larger audience.
- Students and Academics: Students and academics can use Grammarly’s readability score to enhance the clarity of their academic papers, essays, and research articles. It helps them communicate their ideas more effectively and impress their instructors or peers.
- Business Professionals: Business professionals, including marketers, consultants, and executives, can leverage Grammarly’s readability score to ensure that their communication with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders is clear and professional.
- Non-native English Speakers: Non-native English speakers can benefit from Grammarly’s readability score by identifying areas where their writing may be unclear or difficult to comprehend. It assists them in improving their English language skills and communicating more effectively in English-speaking environments.
How to Check Readability
It’s possible to assess your document by yourself while writing. But the problem with this is that you may not be as accurate as is required.
Firstly, it’s hard to ensure that you are measuring every parameter required. Secondly, using a manual process to check your readability score can be time consuming and stressful.
Hence, the easiest way to measure your readability is to use a tool that grades the document or text.
A well-known formula, for example, is the Flesch reading ease test. It grades writing readability based on a numeric scale from 0 to 100.
Grammarly provides such accurate grading system and is trusted by lots of writer’s worldwide.
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How to Improve your Readability Score
The best way to improve your readability score is to reduce the number of lengthy sentences and complex words in your text.
Instead of long sentences and complex words, go for shorter sentences and simpler words. Doing this will greatly affect your readability score, and allow your readers understand your work perfectly.
Fortunately, Grammarly offers a variety of suggestions to help you write concisely and find the exact word you need in any situation.
How Grammarly helps you Master Readability
Grammarly is known as the world’s best tool that helps you monitor the readability of your text.
It uses a 0 to 100 readability grading scale. Which means that the higher the score, the easier it is to read and understand. A lower score means that the text is difficult to read and very complex.
There are several ways to increase your readability score. But one of the most effective way is to shorten your sentences and simplify your words.
The Grammarly Editor helps you improve your document’s readability and generally improves your writing.
Additionally, it offers vocabulary suggestions that tighten your writing and increase your readability score.
What Does Grammarly look for when Checking Readability?
When checking readability, grammarly looks for various factors that contribute to the clarity of written text. Here are some key aspects Grammarly considers:
- Sentence Length: Grammarly analyzes the length of sentences, aiming to ensure they are neither too short nor too long. Balanced sentence lengths contribute to readability.
- Word Choice and Complexity: It assess the complexity of vocabulary used and suggests alternatives for overly complex or jargon-heavy words, aiming for clarity and simplicity.
- Grammar and Punctuation: Grammarly checks for grammatical errors and punctuation mistakes that can hinder readability. Correct usage of grammar and punctuation aids in clear communication.
- Passive Voice and Active Voice: It identifies passive voice constructions and suggests converting them to active voice when appropriate, as active voice generally enhances readability by making sentences more direct and engaging.
- Consistency: Grammarly checks for consistency in writing style, tone, and formatting throughout the text to ensure coherence and flow.
- Transitions: It looks for transitional phrases and words to ensure smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs, improving the overall flow of the text.
- Clarity and Conciseness: Grammarly flags wordy or complicated sentences and suggests revisions to make them more concise and straightforward, enhancing readability.
- Readability Scores: Grammarly provides readability scores such as Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level to give an overall assessment of how easy or difficult the text is to understand.
See also: 10 Tips on How to Increase Readability Score While Writing
FAQs
While Grammarly offers valuable feedback, human proofreading is still recommended for comprehensive editing and quality assurance.
Grammarly supports multiple languages, but Readability Score availability may vary. You can check Grammarly’s language settings for more details on this.
The ideal score varies depending on the intended audience and purpose of the text. Generally, aim for a score that indicates clear and accessible writing, which is from 60 or more.
Conclusion
If you want to give your readers the best reading experience, then you should aim for a high readability score when using Grammarly.
I hope this post helps you!
All the best!
