Does your novel pass the readability test? (2024)

Ever wonder what makes commercial fiction appealing for almost all ages? What is JK Rowling’s secret to writing books that are devoured by adults, teenagers and children alike? The truth is that the answer’s been around for decades - readability.

But, how can readability open up your book to a wider audience?

What’s readability?

Readability refers to how easy and enjoyable your writing is for the reader. Readability formulas are calculations which are written to assess the reading level necessary for the reader to understand your writing easily.

Your top priority should always be to write in rich and meaningful ways.

But, if your prose is too laborious for your reader to get through, you risk losing them. Clarity of writing is important for good communication with your reader.

What’s the Flesch-Kincaid grade level?

The Flesch-Kincaid level is a readability formula created by Rudolf Flesch. Flesch was a readability expert who believed strongly in writing in plain English.

The Flesch-Kincaid formula was a calculation Flesch created in collaboration with the US Navy in the 1970s. It was first used by the army to assess the readability of technical manuals.

Since then, it’s become the most widely used and respected readability tool. It’s used by writers from a wide variety of backgrounds to provide a benchmark for improving readability.

Flesch-Kincaid calculates the US grade level of a text. Therefore, the lower the numeric grade, the more readable the text.

Why should it matter to me?

Readability is often overlooked by novel writers and storytellers because of the fallacy that it’s somehow ‘dumbing down’ the English language.

Because of this, many writers fall into the trap of alienating their readers to make their writing look more intellectual.

Cloaking their work in convoluted and confusing sentences and needlessly difficult words where a simple one would do, these writers only mask a potentially badly-written piece.

Don’t confuse the most complicated writing with the best ideas. Indeed, I’m a fan of Faulkner, but I cracked a smile at what Hemingway had to say in response to him criticizing his writing style:

“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don’t know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.”

Hemingway’s right - big emotions don’t come from big words. One of the most emotional stories I ever read was in a collection by Raymond Carver, another believer in plain language. He was also inspired by Hemingway. Here’s what he had to say about his approach:

“It’s possible, in a poem or a short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those things – a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman’s earrings – with immense, even startling power.”

I don’t know about you, but if it’s good enough for Hemingway and Carver, it’s good enough for me.

JK Rowling: a case study

The final book in the Harry Potter series was the fastest-selling book in history, outselling everything except the Bible. It cannot be overstated how widely read and successful Rowling’s writing is.

Yes, it takes elements from other fantasy fiction and ancient mythology, helping her to create high-impact imagery. Yes, she creates poignant character arcs and tells the satisfying story of triumph over evil through adversity.

That’s not the only reason Harry Potter sells so well and is so widely read. It’s also because it’s extremely readable.

Most adult readers enjoy reading commercial fiction that’s at least a couple of grades below their actual reading level. Impactful themes in books like Harry Potter are even more effectively communicated because they’re communicated clearly. They have a wide appeal due to their accessibility.

Does your novel pass the readability test? (1)

Note that although all the books vary in Flesch-Kincaid grade level, none of them surpass the grade level of 8, which is around the average reading level of the general public.

You’ll also see that the most readable of the novels is The Order of the Phoenix. This novel is an absolute tome and deals with many difficult coming-of-age themes. Therefore, it benefits the most from being easy on the reader.

Although the books mature in subject matter along with its aging characters and readers, they remain readable for a wide audience.

How can ApolloPad help my novel’s readability?

ApolloPad has readability analysis written into the tool. When you’re writing, you will see a graduation cap in your toolbar. Click this at any time and you will see the Flesch-Kincaid level of the entirety of your text so far.

If your Flesch-Kincaid level is above the grade level of 8, you may want to go through your text during the editing process to see if there’s anything you can break down or simplify.

If you still think readability analysis won’t serve you, try to reduce your Flesch-Kincaid level by just one grade and get someone to read the redraft and give you feedback.

Most likely, they’ll appreciate the efforts you’ve made to make your writing flow more easily. You’ll see that there’s a reason lauded writers such as Hemingway, Carver and Rowling can communicate such poignant ideas in such a simple way.

editing harry potter jk rowling novel writing proofreading readability

Does your novel pass the readability test? (2024)

FAQs

What is a good readability score for a novel? ›

Scoring between 70 to 80 is equivalent to school grade level 8. This means text should be fairly easy for the average adult to read. The formula was developed in the 1940s by Rudolf Flesch.

Is a readability score of 40 good? ›

The higher the number, the easier it is to read your document. In most cases, you should aim for a score of 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, in case you're unfamiliar with U.S. grade levels.)

Are readability tests accurate? ›

Readability scores are inconsistent and often inaccurate. There is a need for more comprehensive and accessible guidelines for conducting and reporting on readability studies.

What does a readability test indicate? ›

Readability is a measure of how easy a piece of text is to read. The level of complexity of the text, its familiarity, legibility and typography all feed into how readable your text is. Readability is a key factor in user experience. Accessible content builds trust with your audience.

Is 70 a good readability score? ›

A score of 60 or lower is college level and considered more difficult to read. A score of between 70 – 80 is considered equivalent to school grade level 8, reasonably easy to read and therefore suitable for most professional documents. Anything for children should score 80 or above.

What reading level are best sellers at? ›

What readability level do best-selling authors write for? According to George Klare, a key researcher and writer on the topic of readability, most popular novels are written at a 7th-grade reading level. The average adult reads at around grade 9.

Is it bad to have a low readability score? ›

The higher the score, the easier the content is to read. Scores from 90 to 100 are typically easy for 5th graders to understand, while scores between 0 and 30 indicate you need a college degree (or industry expertise) to understand content.

How to get a higher readability score? ›

7 ways to improve content readability
  1. Write in active voice. Active language is easier to read than passive verbiage. ...
  2. Shorten your sentences. ...
  3. Avoid complex words. ...
  4. Avoid unnecessary jargon and acronyms. ...
  5. Use bullet points when appropriate. ...
  6. Use white spaces smartly. ...
  7. Add visual breaks.
Apr 10, 2024

What is a 50 readability score? ›

What Flesch Reading Ease score should my content have?
ScoreSchool level (US)Notes
80.0–70.07th gradeFairly easy to read.
70.0–60.08th & 9th gradePlain English. Easily understood by 13- to 15-year-old students.
60.0–50.010th to 12th gradeFairly difficult to read.
50.0–30.0CollegeDifficult to read.
4 more rows
Apr 19, 2021

How do you judge readability? ›

Readability measures are primarily based on factors such as the complexity of the printed materials by measuring the number of words in the sentence and the number of letters or syllables per word (i.e., as a reflection of word frequency.) A “score” reflects the grade level of the printed material.

What is the best readability formula? ›

EDUCATION
  • Dale-Chall Readability Formula scores all types of texts for any grade level. ...
  • For younger readers, the Spache Readability Formula is an excellent choice. ...
  • The SMOG Formula targets readers from the 4th grade to college. ...
  • The Flesch Reading Ease uses sentence length and word syllables to score text readability.
Nov 8, 2023

What is the best readability test? ›

7 Best Readability Checkers Online
  • Hemingway Editor. Hemingway Editor is a basic readability checker that helps you improve your writing. ...
  • Readable. Readable highlights issues in your writing as well as provides you with a grade and grade level assessments. ...
  • Grammarly. ...
  • Readability Formulas. ...
  • WebFX Readability Test. ...
  • ProWritingAid.

What is a good readability level? ›

A good standard to aim for is around 7th-8th grade in the US grade level system (12-14 years), which equates to the 60-70 range or higher.

What does poor readability mean? ›

A lower score means the text is harder to read and is considered more complex as your readability score nears 0. Effective ways to raise your readability score include simplifying your word choices and shortening your sentences. Grammarly helps you improve your document's readability—and improves your writing overall.

Is 25 a good readability score? ›

And a low score means your text is complex or hard to understand. As a general rule of thumb, it's best to aim for a score of 60 or higher.

Is 35 a good readability score? ›

A good standard to aim for is around 7th-8th grade in the US grade level system (12-14 years), which equates to the 60-70 range or higher. If you do not have a specific policy for reading age on your site try and focus on the pages that return a score of 60 or lower (10th grade +).

What is the average reading level of a book? ›

The average American reads at the 7th- to 8th-grade level, according to The Literacy Project.

Is 85000 words enough for a novel? ›

Word count guidelines do, however, differ between genres and age groups. As mentioned, general fiction for adults should come in at 100,000 words. But genre books (fantasy, sci-fi, or historical fiction) are often longer; around the 125,000 word mark.

What level are most books written at? ›

85% of a general audience understand information at an eighth-grade reading level. Best-selling novels are often written at a seventh-grade reading level. Aim for a 10th-grade reading level for a graduate-level audience.

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