Automated readability index: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:19, 17 June 2015

Revision as of 02:21, 17 June 2015

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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2015}}

The '''Automatedautomated Readabilityreadability Indexindex (ARI)''' is a [[readability test]] designed to gauge the understandability of a text. Like the [[Flesch-KincaidFlesch–Kincaid Readabilityreadability Testtest|Flesch-KincaidFlesch–Kincaid]] Gradegrade Levellevel, [[Gunning Fogfog Indexindex]], [[SMOG Indexindex]], [[Fry Readabilityreadability Formulaformula]], and [[Coleman-LiauColeman–Liau Indexindex]], it produces an approximate representation of the [[Grade levels#USA and Canada|US grade level]] needed to comprehend the text.

The formula for calculating the Automatedautomated Readabilityreadability Indexindex is given below:

:<math>

4.71 \left (\frac{\mbox{characters}}{\mbox{words}} \right) + 0.5 \left (\frac{\mbox{words}}{\mbox{sentences}} \right) -− 21.43

</math>

where ''characters'' is the number of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, ''words'' is the number of spaces, and ''sentences'' is the number of sentences. Sentences were counted by hand as each text was typed.

As a rough guide, US grade level 1 corresponds to ages 6 to 86–8. 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-LiauColeman–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. In fact, this index was designed for real-time monitoring of readability on electric typewriters.<ref>{{cite journal

| author = Senter, R.J.

|author2= Smith, E.A.

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==External links==

*[http://www.checktext.org Online readability tests] -– finds ARI and other indices, suggestions how to improve readability

*[http://www.editcentral.com Readability calculators] -– six readability statistics

[[Category:Readability tests]]