Flesch 1951

Flesch, Rudolf. 1951.How to test readability. New York: Harper and Brothers. 56 pages. Location: Dallas SIL Library 808.02 F611h. Interest level: general.

Explains how to raise readability with the following guidelines:

• Focus on the reader.
• Focus on the purpose.
• Design your writing functionally; fit it to the reader.
• Break up sentences and paragraphs.
• Find simpler words (change abstract, complex nouns into verbs).
• Make information readable (point out what is significant, prepare for what will be read, and summarize what was read).
• Reduce wordiness; attract reader by sheer brevity.
• Rearrange for emphasis.
• Punctuate for readability.
• Do not write down to readers.
• Do not overrate reading habits and skills.

• Bibliography module: Flesch 1951
• In overview module: Bibliography (Literacy): F
• In modular book: Bibliography (Literacy), by Doris Gallemore, Trudi C. Hunt, Jeanne Swanson, and Stephen L. Walter
• In document collection: Reference materials
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 May 1999

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