The readability feature categorizes the difficulty of the vocabulary on a website into comprehension and school grade values. This helps website owners improve the experience for their users.
This document provides an introduction to the Readability module and user documentation collection. Use the left navigation toolbar for documentation on the features of this module.
Readability methods
The method that appears is the one that the admin selected during setup.
Flesch Kincaid Readability Test (English Text)
The Flesch–Kincaid readability method is used for English text and it measures word length, number of syllables per word, and sentence length. The formula for the Flesch (FRES) test is:
Very easy to read. Easily understood by students who are generally around 11 years old.
90.0–80.0
6th grade
Easy to read. Conversational English for consumers.
80.0–70.0
7th grade
Fairly easy to read.
70.0–60.0
8th & 9th grade
Plain English. Easily understood by students in these grades, who are generally 13-15 years old.
Readability introduction
Introduction
The readability feature categorizes the difficulty of the vocabulary on a website into comprehension and school grade values. This helps website owners improve the experience for their users.
This document provides an introduction to the Readability module and user documentation collection. Use the left navigation toolbar for documentation on the features of this module.
Readability methods
The method that appears is the one that the admin selected during setup.
Flesch Kincaid Readability Test (English Text)
The Flesch–Kincaid readability method is used for English text and it measures word length, number of syllables per word, and sentence length. The formula for the Flesch (FRES) test is:
When Web Governance is not able to generate a readability score for a page, the following error messages describe the reasons:
Language not supported: This indicates that the language of the page is not recognized as English. The Flesch-Kincaid test only works for English language. A encourages you to change to the LIX test to generate scores for non-English pages.
Score could not be generated: This indicates that it was not possible to generate an accurate score for the page. This is typically because either the text on a page is too short or too long, or the web crawler does not detect any text.
LIX Readability Test (Non-English Text)
The LIX readability method is used for all other languages, and the readability formula is as follows:
LIX = A/B + (C x 100)/A, where:
A = Number of words
B = Number of periods (defined by period, colon, or upper-case first letter)
Clear language rules also affect the overall readability scores. Generally, these rules apply:
Long Sentences: Sentences that exceed 20 words are flagged. Aim for 5% or lower total content with long sentences. The message is likely buried in complex statements and run-on sentences. A tip is to split the long sentences or use lists.
Average Sentence Length: Aim for 10 words per sentence or fewer for optimal readability.
Passive Language: Aim for 5% or lower total content in passive language. Active language is more direct and clear. Examples:
Active voice:
Monkeys adore bananas.
The cashier counted the money.
The dog chased the squirrel.
Passive voice:
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 ensures a clear message and intuitive instructional text.
Readability checker
The Readability checker lets you paste or type any text into the section provided and get an immediate readability score for it. For more information, read Readability Checker.
Add a scan exclusion
It is possible to exclude a segment of the webpage from the readability scan. For more information, read Scan exclusions.
When Web Governance is not able to generate a readability score for a page, the following error messages describe the reasons:
Language not supported: This indicates that the language of the page is not recognized as English. The Flesch-Kincaid test only works for English language. A encourages you to change to the LIX test to generate scores for non-English pages.
Score could not be generated: This indicates that it was not possible to generate an accurate score for the page. This is typically because either the text on a page is too short or too long, or the web crawler does not detect any text.
LIX Readability Test (Non-English Text)
The LIX readability method is used for all other languages, and the readability formula is as follows:
LIX = A/B + (C x 100)/A, where:
A = Number of words
B = Number of periods (defined by period, colon, or upper-case first letter)
Clear language rules also affect the overall readability scores. Generally, these rules apply:
Long Sentences: Sentences that exceed 20 words are flagged. Aim for 5% or lower total content with long sentences. The message is likely buried in complex statements and run-on sentences. A tip is to split the long sentences or use lists.
Average Sentence Length: Aim for 10 words per sentence or fewer for optimal readability.
Passive Language: Aim for 5% or lower total content in passive language. Active language is more direct and clear. Examples:
Active voice:
Monkeys adore bananas.
The cashier counted the money.
The dog chased the squirrel.
Passive voice:
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 ensures a clear message and intuitive instructional text.
Readability checker
The Readability checker lets you paste or type any text into the section provided and get an immediate readability score for it. For more information, read Readability Checker.
Add a scan exclusion
It is possible to exclude a segment of the webpage from the readability scan. For more information, read Scan exclusions.
Web Governance