What is readability, and why should you care?

How to make every message you write easier to read and understand

Why readability?

Low literacy, information overload and time spent reading

But can they read it? Will they? Readable messages reach more readers, communicate better and boost the bottom line.

Rev up Readability
	Try these 5 ChatGPT prompts for writing clearly ChatGPT wrote this article. (Well, sort of …) The robots are coming: ChatGPT helps people write 59% faster and 18% better. What are you waiting for?

	Why you should write short content — and how to do it What difference does the length of your content make? How long is too long? Short content increases reading, understanding, conversion rates and more. Here’s how to reduce word count and write short articles.

	What’s the best length of a paragraph? ‘Long grafs are a visual predictor that a story won’t work’ Write more shorter paragraphs: If your paragraphs are too long, readers will skip them.

	How to write about statistics Take the Numb Out of Numbers Make numbers count: Many readers have low numeracy, or numerical literacy. In this environment, communicators must work harder to make sure our numbers are interesting, relevant and right.

	What’s the ideal sentence length? Short, simple sentences boost comprehension Why write short sentences? Short, simple sentences are easier to understand than long sentences. Use these tips to write short sentences and avoid dependent clauses.

	How to avoid passive voice Write subject verb object Activate the passive voice: Choose the active voice, not passive construction.

	What’s the right word length for readability? What’s the character count of your average word? Words that work: Word length is the top predictor of readability. So what’s your average word length?

	How to avoid jargon — and why Get the gobbledygook and gibberish out Jargon. Buzzwords. Acronyms. They’re things that make your readers go, “huh?” And we need to get them out of our messages.

	How to avoid adjectives and adverbs Replace weak modifiers with strong nouns and verbs The ‘great deceivers’: Adjectives and adverbs give “the illusion of meaning without its substance,” according to The Associated Press Guide to Good News Writing.

	How to improve readability scores Measure, monitor and manage readability Can you read me now? What’s the right reading grade level score for your target audience to read and understand? Do you have too many long words? Complex words? Long sentences? Write readable content that’s easy to understand using the Gunning Fog score, Flesch Kincaid grade level and other free readability tools.

	How to develop a conversational writing style Connect with your audience by writing conversationally This ain’t your high school thesis or an academic paper. Short sentences and a conversational tone are more important than formal writing and grammatical rules.

	Spelling, punctuation and grammar how-tos How to write it right Polish your prose: The smallest errors can make readers lose trust in your message.