A new readability yardstick

Abstract

The author provides a revised system for determining the comprehension difficulty of written material through the use of two new formulae which measure reading ease and human interest. The following elements are used in analyzing text passages: (1) average sentence length in words; (2) average word length in syllables; (3) average percentage of "personal words"; (4) average percentage of personal sentences. A step-by-step procedure for using the formulae, and interpretative table of scores, and an analysis of passages in "Life" and "The New Yorker" are given. 20-item bibliography. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)