How to improve readability: 10 techniques that work
Ten practical techniques to make any text easier to read, from plain words and shorter sentences to clearer structure, plus how readability scores are calculated.
Readable writing isn’t “dumbed down”. It respects the reader’s time. Specialists and busy executives prefer clear text just as much as anyone else, because it lets them understand the point on the first read.
This guide explains what readability scores measure (and what they miss), then covers ten techniques that reliably make writing easier to follow.
What readability means
Readability is how easily a particular reader can understand a text. It depends on the words and sentences, but also on structure, layout and how well the text matches what the reader already knows. A paper for cardiologists can be highly readable to cardiologists and impenetrable to everyone else.
That’s worth remembering because the most popular readability measures only look at surface features.
How readability scores work
The two best-known formulas were developed from the work of Rudolf Flesch:
- Flesch Reading Ease = 206.835 − 1.015 × (words ÷ sentences) − 84.6 × (syllables ÷ words). Scores usually fall between 0 and 100. Higher is easier; around 60 to 70 is often described as plain English.
- Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level = 0.39 × (words ÷ sentences) + 11.8 × (syllables ÷ words) − 15.59. The result roughly corresponds to a US school grade.
Both reward shorter sentences and shorter words. That makes them useful as a quick warning sign. A very low Reading Ease score usually means long, dense sentences. But they can’t tell whether your text is logical, accurate or well organised. A jumble of short, simple sentences can score well and still be confusing. Use scores as a prompt to look closer, not as a target.
The Text Humanize tool shows a reading ease score before and after each rewrite, which is a handy way to see whether an edit made the text lighter or heavier.
1. Write for one specific reader
Picture a real person who will read the text: what they know, what they need and how much time they have. Decisions about vocabulary, detail and structure become much easier. When you’re unsure whether to explain a term, ask whether that person would know it.
2. Put the main point first
Readers skim. Usability research from the Nielsen Norman Group has long shown that people scan web pages rather than reading every word. Lead with the conclusion, answer or request, then add the supporting detail. In business writing this is sometimes called “bottom line up front”.
Following several discussions with the vendor over the past quarter and a review of our current usage, we have been considering our options regarding the renewal.
I recommend we renew the contract for one year, not three. Our usage dropped 30% this quarter, and a shorter term keeps our options open.
3. Keep sentences short on average, and vary them
Plain-language guidance, such as advice from the Plain English Campaign, commonly suggests an average of around 15 to 20 words per sentence. The key word is average. A text where every sentence is 17 words long feels monotonous. Mix short sentences with longer ones, and break up any sentence that forces the reader to hold several ideas at once.
4. Choose plain words
Long or formal words slow readers down without adding meaning. Prefer the everyday alternative:
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| utilise | use |
| facilitate | help, make easier |
| commence | start |
| in order to | to |
| at this point in time | now |
| in the event that | if |
| a large number of | many |
| with regard to | about |
Technical terms are fine when your reader uses them. The goal is precision without unnecessary formality.
5. Prefer active voice
Active sentences say who does what: “The team approved the plan.” Passive sentences can hide the actor: “The plan was approved.” Active voice is usually shorter and clearer. Passive voice still has uses, for example when the actor is unknown or unimportant, but make it a choice rather than a habit. Our guide to active vs passive voice explains when each works best.
6. Give each paragraph one job
A paragraph should develop a single idea. Start with a sentence that tells the reader what the paragraph is about, and keep paragraphs short on screens. Three to five sentences is a good default for web content. A one-sentence paragraph can add emphasis if you use it sparingly.
7. Use descriptive headings
Headings let readers find what they need and skip what they don’t. Make them informative. “Pricing” is fine; “How much it costs and what’s included” is better. Someone reading only your headings should understand the shape of the whole piece.
8. Use lists for steps and options
Numbered lists work well for sequences and bulleted lists for parallel items. Keep list items grammatically consistent, and don’t turn connected reasoning into bullets. Explanations need the “because” and “so” that paragraphs provide.
9. Cut redundancy
Look for phrases that say the same thing twice (“past history”, “end result”, “each and every”) and sentences that only restate the previous one. Filler phrases such as “it is important to note that” can nearly always be deleted. Our guide to common AI writing patterns lists many of the usual suspects.
10. Explain with examples
An abstract statement becomes clear the moment you show an example. After explaining a concept, add “for example…” and something concrete: a number, a scenario, a before-and-after. If you define a term, define it the first time you use it.
Test your writing
- Read it aloud. Anywhere you run out of breath or stumble needs work.
- Check a readability score as a rough signal, especially for long sentences.
- Skim only the headings and first sentences. Does the main message come through?
- Ask someone from your audience to read it and tell you the main point in one sentence.
Clear writing takes revision. For a structured editing routine, especially for AI-assisted drafts, see how to edit AI-generated writing.