Automated Readability Index
Encyclopedia
The Automated Readability Index (ARI) is a readability test
designed to gauge the understandability of a text. Like the Flesch-Kincaid
Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index
, SMOG Index, Fry Readability Formula
, and Coleman-Liau Index
, it produces an approximate representation of the US grade level needed to comprehend the text.
The formula for calculating the Automated Readability Index is given below:
Characters are the number of letters and numbers.
As a rough guide, US grade level 1 corresponds to ages 6 to 8. Reading level grade 8 corresponds to the typical reading level of a 14 year-old US child. Grade 12, the highest US secondary school grade before college, corresponds to the reading level of a 17 year-old.
Unlike the other indices, the ARI, along with the Coleman-Liau, relies on a factor of characters per word, instead of the usual syllables per word. Although opinion varies on its accuracy as compared to the syllables/word and complex words indices, characters/word is often faster to calculate, as the number of characters is more readily and accurately counted by computer programs than syllables.
Readability test
For the main article, see ReadabilityReadability tests, readability formulas, or readability metrics are formulae for evaluating the readability of text, usually by counting syllables, words, and sentences. Readability tests are often used as an alternative to conducting an actual statistical...
designed to gauge the understandability of a text. Like the Flesch-Kincaid
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
The Flesch/Flesch–Kincaid readability tests are designed to indicate comprehension difficulty when reading a passage of contemporary academic English. There are two tests, the Flesch Reading Ease, and the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level...
Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index
Gunning fog index
In linguistics, the Gunning fog index measures the readability of English writing. The index estimates the years of formal education needed to understand the text on a first reading. A fog index of 12 requires the reading level of a U.S. high school senior...
, SMOG Index, Fry Readability Formula
Fry Readability Formula
The Fry readability formula is a readability metric for English texts, developed by Edward Fry.The grade reading level is calculated by the average number of sentences and syllables per hundred words...
, and Coleman-Liau Index
Coleman-Liau Index
The Coleman–Liau index is a readability test designed by Meri Coleman and T. L. Liau to gauge the understandability of a text. Like the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning fog index, SMOG index, and Automated Readability Index, its output approximates the U.S...
, it produces an approximate representation of the US grade level needed to comprehend the text.
The formula for calculating the Automated Readability Index is given below:
Characters are the number of letters and numbers.
As a rough guide, US grade level 1 corresponds to ages 6 to 8. Reading level grade 8 corresponds to the typical reading level of a 14 year-old US child. Grade 12, the highest US secondary school grade before college, corresponds to the reading level of a 17 year-old.
Unlike the other indices, the ARI, along with the Coleman-Liau, relies on a factor of characters per word, instead of the usual syllables per word. Although opinion varies on its accuracy as compared to the syllables/word and complex words indices, characters/word is often faster to calculate, as the number of characters is more readily and accurately counted by computer programs than syllables.
External links
- Online readability tests - finds ARI and other indices, suggestions how to improve readability
- Readability calculators - six readability statistics