Using Word 2010 to Check Readability Statistics

Follow these instructions before creating a Word Document 1. Open Word 2010. 2. Select File | !"tions from the toolbar at the top of the screen.

3. The Word Options dialog box should then appear. Clic the #roofing tab from the list to the left.

!. Chec the box next to Check grammar with s"elling (If it is already checked, do not uncheck the box)

". Chec the box next to Show readability statistics (If it is already checked, do not uncheck the box)

#. When $ou chec spelling% the readabilit$ le&el 'ill no' appear.

#%&'S& $!(& ()'( ()& R&'D'*+%+(, S('(+S(+CS *!.like the one to the left/ 0US( *& #R+$(&D '$D '(('C)&D F!R &'C) (,#&D #'#&R W)&$ (UR$&D +$1

$ote To tr$ out a plug(in for Word 2010 that 'ill sho' $ou difficulties 'ith $our documen t re&ie' the follo'ing article% )eadabilit$ *lugin for +icrosoft Word 2010% at http,--'''.surre$.ac.u -computing-research-de-clouds-readabilit$.20plug(in.20for.20'ord.202010Warning *erforming the Sho' )eadabilit$ Statistics action resets all information pre&iousl$ sa&ed b$ spell chec er and grammar chec er. /n$ 'ords or sentence structure that has been pre&iousl$ chec ed and ignored b$ the user 'ill need to re&ie' once more. 0f $ou start $our document 'ith readabilit$ statistics turned on% the user 'ill not ha&e an issue1 it2s onl$ 'hen the user 'ants to go bac and ha&e the readabilit$ statistics re&ie' the document that cause this problem.

Understand readability scores

3ach readabilit$ test bases its rating on the a&erage number of s$llables per 'ord and 'ords per sentence. The follo'ing sections explain ho' each test scores $our file2s readabilit$. F%&SC) R&'D+$2 &'S& (&S( This test rates text on a 100(point scale. The higher the score% the easier it is to understand the document. 4or most standard files% $ou 'ant the score to be bet'een #0 and 50. The formula for the 4lesch )eading 3ase score is, 20#.63" 7 81.01" x /S9: 7 86!.# x /SW: 'here, /S9 ; a&erage sentence length 8the number of 'ords di&ided b$ the number of sentences: /SW ; a&erage number of s$llables per 'ord 8the number of s$llables di&ided b$ the number of 'ords: F%&SC)34+$C'+D 2R'D& %&5&% (&S( This test rates text on a <.S. school grade le&el. 4or example% a score of 6.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document. 4or most documents% aim for a score of approximatel$ 5.0 to 6.0. The formula for the 4lesch(=incaid >rade 9e&el score is, 8.3? x /S9: @ 811.6 x /SW: 7 1"."? 'here, /S9 ; a&erage sentence length 8the number of 'ords di&ided b$ the number of sentences: /SW ; a&erage number of s$llables per 'ord 8the number of s$llables di&ided b$ the number of 'ords: Understand how languages affect readability scores The languages that $ou use in a document can affect ho' $our +icrosoft Office program chec s and presents readabilit$ scores. 0f $ou set up Word to chec the spelling and grammar of text in other languages% and a document contains text in multiple languages% Word displa$s readabilit$ statistics for text in the last language that 'as chec ed. 4or example% if a document contains three paragraphs A the first in 3nglish% the second in 4rench% and the third in 3nglish A Word displa$s readabilit$ statistics for the 3nglish text onl$. 4or some 3uropean languages 'ithin an 3nglish document% Word displa$s onl$ information about counts and a&erages% not readabilit$.