Readability Index Gunning Fog Index The Fog Index is a method of analyzing written material to see how easy it is to read and understand.

Steps you can use to calculate the Gunning Fog Index Take a full passage that is around 100 words (do not omit any sentences). Find the average sentence length (divide the number of words by the number of sentences). Count the percentage (%) of complex words (words with three or more syllables - root words). Add the average sentence length and the percentage of complex words. Multiply the result by 0.4. The score indicate the level of education in years required to understand the passage.

Example 1 Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. Economic development can also be referred to as the quantitative and qualitative changes in the economy. Such actions can involve multiple areas including development of human capital, critical infrastructure, regional competitiveness, environmental sustainability, social inclusion, health, safety, literacy, and other initiatives. Economic development differs from economic growth. Whereas economic development is a policy intervention endeavor with aims of economic and social well-being of people, economic growth is a phenomenon of market productivity and rise in GDP.(102 words)

Example 2 If you have succeeded in a graduate program in the humanities or social sciences, you most likely have talents coveted by corporations -- the ability to communicate ideas effectively, summarize information quickly, and think creatively. Corporations today produce massive amounts of written materials. They need good, clever writers to produce marketing pieces, research reports, business proposals, PowerPoint presentations, media releases, and more. Of course, these types of writing assignments don't look much like a paper in English or history. As several successful corporate writers with humanities forging a career in corporate communications requires you to adapt to meet the needs of business.(102 words)

Example 3 Since abstract writing is hard to visualize, it often seems as though it makes no sense and all the words are excessive. Writers in academic fields that concern themselves mostly with the abstract, such as philosophy and especially postmodernism, often fail to include extensive concrete examples of their ideas, and so a superficial examination of their work might lead one to believe that it is all nonsense. The widespread expectation that scholarly works in these fields will look at first glance like nonsense is the source of humor that pokes fun at these fields by comparing actual nonsense with real academic writing. (101 words)

Good Readability Index What need to be done? Know your readers. Avoid long sentences. Use simple words/terms.