Another lesson in plain language…
For communications to be understood, your writing needs to be direct, familiar and concise. We’ve talked about jargon and how to avoid it. Another way to improve readability is to run a grade-level check on your material.
In general, most adults read at the sixth to eighth grade level. Think TV Guide, Reader’s Digest and most popular novels. Business publications, Time Magazine and Newsweek are written at the 10+ grade level. Anything from the government or a lawyer is over grade 20.
Tip: It’s possible to obtain good readability scores even with gobbledygook – what we call the language necessary for summary plan descriptions. Aim to keep most of your text to shorter sentences. Typically, a sentence over 14 words is too long.
How to check the grade-level:
The Flesch-Kincaid grade level can be found in Microsoft Word’s Spelling and Grammar tool. Within reason, you should aim for between sixth to eighth grade.
Remember: Confusion leads to frustration which leads to a low opinion of valuable programs.
