---
title: "How do the Web Governance readability methods determine my score?"
date: "2026-08-28T10:00:14+00:00"
summary: "Learn how Web Governance calculates readability scores using Flesch-Kincaid and LIX methods to improve your content clarity."
image:
type: "article"
url: "/web-governance/help/99186-how-do-web-governance-readability-methods-determine-my-score"
id: "5a6175a7-674f-43ca-b248-9f58153304c7"
---

Table of contents will be added

Introduction
------------

This article describes the two readability score methods that Web Governance offers and provides information on how they calculate readability scores.

Readability methods
-------------------

The Web Governance administrator configures the readability method when they set up the scan. The two methods are:

*   **Flesch-Kincaid**: Determines the readability score for English text.
*   **LIX**: Determines the readability score for non-English languages.

Flesch Kincaid Readability Test (English Text)
----------------------------------------------

The Flesch-Kincaid readability method measures word length, number of syllables per word, and sentence length for English text. The formula for the Flesch (FRES) test is:

**206.835 - 1.015 (total words/total sentences) - 84.6 (total syllables/total words)**

The resulting scores and their meaning:

Readability Score

School Grade (United States)

Additional Information

100.00–90.00

Grade 5

Very easy to read. Easily understood by students who are around 11 years old.

90.0–80.0

Grade 6

Easy to read. Conversational English for consumers.

80.0–70.0

Grade 7

Fairly easy to read.

70.0–60.0

Grades 8 and 9

Plain English. Students easily understand this text in these grades, they are around13-15 years old.

60.0–50.0

Grades 10-12

Fairly difficult to read, students in these grades are around 15-18 years old.

50.0–30.0

College/University

Difficult to read.

30.0–10.0

College/University graduate

Very difficult to read. Best understood by university graduates.

10.0–0.0

Professional

Extremely difficult to read. Best understood by university graduates.

For more information, visit [Flesch Kincaid Readability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid_readability_tests#:~:text=The%20Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid%20readability%20tests,the%20Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid%20Grade%20Level.).

### Errors in Flesch-Kincaid

When Web Governance cannot generate a readability score for a page, the system displays the following error messages:

*   ****Language not supported****: Indicates that the system does not recognize the page language as English. The Flesch-Kincaid test evaluates only English text. Change the method to the LIX test to generate scores for non-English pages.
*   ****Score could not be generated****: Indicates that the system cannot generate an accurate score for the page. This error occurs because the text is too short or too long, or the web crawler does not detect text.

LIX Readability Test (Non-English Text)
---------------------------------------

The LIX readability method evaluates non-English text. The formula is:

**LIX = A/B + (C x 100)/A**

Where:

*   A = Number of words
    
*   B = Number of periods (defined by period, colon, or uppercase first letter)
    
*   C = Number of long words (more than 6 letters)
    

For more information, visit [LIX readability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lix_\(readability_test\)).

Clear language rules affect the overall readability scores. The following rules apply:

![An example of a customer clear language score. The description of the information shown is in the document text.](https://acquia.widen.net/content/rkrtzvntku/web/WebGov-Readability-ClearLanguageScore.png?w=720&v=ffc77a90-7b3b-45b7-a667-102944460a94&itok=WL9wksFQ)

*   ****Long Sentences****: The system flags sentences that exceed 20 words. Aim for 5% or lower total content with long sentences. Complex statements and run-on sentences bury the message. Split long sentences or use lists.
    
*   ****Average Sentence Length****: Aim for 10 words per sentence or fewer to ensure optimal readability.
    
*   ****Passive Language****: Aim for 5% or lower total content in passive language. Active language is more direct and clear.
    
    *   ****Active voice examples****: Monkeys adore bananas. The cashier counted the money. The dog chased the squirrel.
        
    *   ****Passive voice examples****: Bananas are adored by monkeys. The money was counted by the cashier. The squirrel was chased by the dog.
        
*   ****Readability****: The ideal readability score is 60 or higher. This score ensures a clear message and easy-to-follow instructional text.