Readability calculations are more meaningful and accurate when we pay attention to which parts of the text are included. The Text Preparation tab lets you choose which parts of the text are included in these calculations.

Which sections of text should I include in a readability calculation?

A general rule is to only include full sentences. Any part of the text that is incomplete e.g. short headings, dot points, and other text that is not a full sentence would usually not be included in the calculation. However, you can choose to include headings that are phrased as questions or full sentences.

Other notes:

• Acronyms: The number of syllables in an acronym is based on the number of letters. 2-letter acronyms are counted as 2 syllables, 3-letter acronyms are counted as 3 syllables, and acronyms with more than 3 letters are counted as 4 syllables. You must remove any acronyms that have full stops between letters for instance (‘U.S.’ to ‘US’). The editor will automatically remove the full stops in ‘e.g.’ and ‘i.e.’ so you don’t need to edit these.

• Headings and dot points: You do not need to put a full stop at the end of headings and dot points. These will automatically be counted as individual sentences.

The condition/medicine/topic I am writing about is a word with more than 2 syllables. Can I exclude this word from the readability calculation?

There is no specific health literacy guidance about whether these words should be excluded from readability scores. However, the SHeLL Health Literacy Editor will show you how much these words have contributed to the grade reading score. To do this:

1. Enter up to 5 words into the ‘Exclude words from Complex Language’ section in the Text Preparation tab.

2. Click ‘Check my text’.

3. Download the printable summary.

4. You can read about the impact of these words at the bottom of the first page of the printable summary.

How do I exclude parts of the text from a readability calculation?

Click on the ‘Text Preparation’ tab on the top right corner to adjust which parts of the text you include in the readability calculation. The editor automatically excludes:

• Short dot points (less than four words)

• Headings that are less than four words

• URLs

Text that is excluded from the calculation is shown in grey. Click on a section of text to change whether it is included or not.

How is readability calculated?

There are many ways to calculate readability. Most are based on the number and length of words and sentences. The editor uses the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) [2] because this formula:

• Expects 100% comprehension for the corresponding grade reading level

• Is less likely to underestimate readability (relative to other formulas)

• Is considered the most robust [3]

Read more about the limitations of readability formulas at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

How are syllables calculated?

The editor determines the number of syllables in each word using one of two methods: a syllable dictionary or syllable counting rules. First, the editor searches the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary (CMUdict), an English-language dictionary that provides information on pronunciation and syllable count. If a word and its syllable count is not available in this dictionary, the editor estimates syllable count using a series of rules based on the sequence of letters, such as patterns of vowels and consonants. Syllable counts based on the dictionary entries tend to be more accurate than those based on letter sequences.