Basic (09-15)

NL 10605.101 What is Readability?

Readability refers to how easily written materials can be read and understood. Readability depends on many factors, but sentence length and word choice play a pivotal role in how easy text is to read and understand.

The following guidelines will help you increase the readability of your notice.

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  Know your audience. Write for the average reader. Do not write to the experts, lawyers, or advocates unless they are your audience.

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  Use plain language.

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  Use short, common words whenever possible.

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  Use short sentences. Use an average sentence length of no more than 15-20 words per sentence.

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  Use no more than 7 lines in a paragraph.

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  Write notices at the sixth- to eighth-grade reading level.

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  Check your notice for readability using the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test.