Interpret the readability score

In this section, you will learn how each element of the readability analysis is assessed, how they contribute to the overall score, and what each color and number indicate. 

Topic's readability score

Each topic content is separately assessed regarding readability factors and can have a different score from another topic in the same document.

The overall readability score

The overall readability score is calculated based on the results of the five readability metrics. Each of these components has a separate assessment and score leading to a good or bad result and, in some cases, an average result. 

Each metric's result equally contributes to the overall score. A Green bullet equals 2 points, a yellow bullet equals 1, and a red bullet equals 0 points. The overall score is calculated as an average of all metrics' points, converted to the percentage.

It is then presented both through colors and a number out of 100. You can check the overall score by looking at the readability bullet or opening the readability panel to see more detailed results on the graph.

Green

An overall score of above 60 results in a green bullet which means you are doing good. However, considering your target audience, you may still want to improve your topic for higher readability.

Yellow

A score between 30 to 60 results in a yellow bullet which means you need to make some improvements to make your topic more readable.

Red

A score below 30 results in a red bullet which means you are far from a readable post and need many improvements.

Metrics' scores

The color interpretation in the metrics' results is the same as the overall result. A green bullet conveys a good result, yellow (not applicable for some metrics) shows an average result where an improvement is needed, and a red bullet indicates bad results meaning there is an error and you need to fix it. However, each metric's numbers and score vary based on their recommended ranges.

Topic's readability metrics

The following metrics contribute to the readability score. Sentence and character count are reported for your information and do not directly impact the readability score.

Flesch Reading Ease (FRE)

It's a popular readability test that measures the difficulty of a text-based on the length of the words and the sentences. Higher FRE scores indicate higher readability which means the text is easier to follow. Generally, FRE scores of 60-70 are considered good scores for many types of content. It means your topic is easily understood by 13 to 15-year-old students (8th & 9th graders). However, you may aim for a different score depending on your content type and target audience.

Transition words

Transition words, also known as linking or connective words, help the readers perceive the connection between your ideas and the flow of your sentences and paragraphs. Using enough transition words or phrases gives your content a natural flow and improves its readability. At least 30% of your sentences should include transition words to get a green bullet. You get a yellow bullet if transition words appear in 20-30% of the sentences only and a red bullet if your result falls below 20%.

Passive voice

Using excessive passive voice can confuse readers and hurt the readability of a text. Although passive voice used to be encouraged in technical and scientific content, now it is recommended to use it less and replace the passive voice with the active ones where possible. Sonat lets you know if you're using too much passive voice in your writing. You should keep your passive voice percentage below 10%. A result between 10 to 20% leads to a yellow bullet, while using passive voice, more than 20% appears as an error.

Subheading distribution

Dividing long texts into shorter sections using different subheadings helps readers scan information and move between headings smoothly. Sonat alarms you if you have not distributed subheadings evenly. 

Paragraph length

Long paragraphs are difficult to follow. Sonat readability checker warns you if your average paragraph length exceeds the recommended range. Keeping your paragraphs shorter than 150 words helps readers scan the text more easily. A yellow and red bullet warns you if your average paragraph length is 150-200 words or more than 200 words, respectively.

Sentence count

If you have a specific limit for the number of sentences in your topic, the sentence count can be helpful as informative data. Moreover, long content divided into a short number of sentences damages your readability. So you can split your text into smaller sentences using transition words to improve your content readability if you have not used enough sentences.

Character count

Character count is merely reported as informative data, which could be particularly helpful if you have specific limits.

Document's readability score

Besides each topic's score, Sonat informs you about a document's readability score as a whole.  Generally, the readability score at the document level is based on all topics' scores analyses. However, knowing how Sonat calculates this score will help you better understand what this score represents.

The overall readability score

The overall readability score at the document level (shown by small bullets next to the document title in your organization's home) uses the same colors, numbers, signs, and the calculation method as the topic level. 

Metrics' scores

The metrics contributing to the document readability score are the same as what is assessed in the topic's readability with the same ranges and thresholds. However, the metrics' scores at the document level are the medians of the metrics' scores at the topic level. 

The median is the middle number in an ordered list of numbers (ascending/descending). Therefore, if a metric's score at the document level falls within the optimal range, at least half of its topics have the optimal score regarding that specific metric. And it results in a green bullet for the metric at the document level. The same logic is behind those scores with yellow and red results.