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Saturday, December 15, 2007

Your Blog's Readability

The following blog tool, regarding readability, seemed interesting to me when I saw it on one of those days I was surfing other blogs. I checked my rating at the time, thought about posting the information here; then when I got around to it, forgot where I had found it, hadn't bookmarked it, and had to Google it to find it again.

This first readability rating was done December 9th:
cash advance

Because I thought it probable that it was only checking one date (given how fast it shows results), I asked it to reevaluate for a specific, earlier date using different subject matter and this time it said:

cash advance

Out of curiosity for how this compared, I took the blog it rated at college level to my Word program where it can do a grammar check as well as rate the writing according to readability using Flesch Reading Ease (where it was 66.3) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (where it came in at 8.1).

Finally I looked online to refresh my memory as to what that Flesch reading ease number meant. The higher the number, the more readable; so 120 would be something a fifth grader could read and understand. Examples given to explain this further were-- Reader's Digest magazine rates about 65; Time magazine -- 52, and Harvard Law Review comes in the low 30s.

When I was writing fiction, I aimed to be about where I am, according to Flesch evaluations, not too simple and not too complex. I found no quick way to see how the online test was setting their criteria.

The question for a writer of anything always is who are they trying to reach? If it's too simple, is it not saying enough? If it's too demanding, do readers tune out who didn't want to have to think that day?

While I always like seeing instant results, I have a feeling the Flesch tests on Word are probably closest to where I see my writing here; but it took seeing the online evaluation to remind me to use the Flesch tools. Since writing well is important to me, I should have thought of doing it sooner.

To check your own blog, just click on the icon.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Geeze, I'm laughing....I typed in my URL as it said and got back, "Elementary School"....lol Hmmmm.....does that mean I write like a child?
Ah well.......lol
Terri

seniorwriter said...

I'm laughing, too. Mine came out "College Level: Postgrad." While that describes my own level of education, it's not what a blog should strive for (although I do promote literacy). I guess I'll have to be more careful about those big words! Does anyone out there have trouble understanding "Never too Late!"? I'll have to test some earlier posts.

seniorwriter said...

P.S. My other blog, "Write your Life!", rated "High School." Go figure.

Anonymous said...

That's just too funny! An elementary and a postgrad! I'd like to see anonymous's blog and maybe learn a thing or two. By the way, I don't have any trouble understanding "Never too Late!"

This is actually something I'm aware of even early on when I started Elders Tribune. So I've been watching my language when I write, like using shorter sentences and words. Mine came out at Junior High School level. I guess there's still room for improvement.

Thanks for bringing this up!

Anonymous said...

I fear doing this, but am going to give it a go. If I don't come back to report results, it will be due to qualifying at the pre-school level.

Winston
http://nobodyasked.com

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

very funny...my blog is mostly pictures...it really should be picture book level... but was evaluated at Junior High

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

Funnier yet, I checked my children's book "When I get to be Older" at http://widlerwenzeldreams.blogspot.com
It came in as genius level. Their evaluation couldn't understand it at all.

Allan Erickson said...

hmmm... says they couldn't check mine... ouch! Does that mean I'm unreadable?

Allan Erickson said...

Now it works... says my blog is at the Jr High level. Still "ouch." But then I don't write my blog like I would an Oped or a serious research piece...