Readability Statistics in Microsoft Word

As healthcare providers, we often select or develop patient education resources. The problem is that we might not appreciate that what we understand is not the same as the patients/clients we serve.  According to the literature, patient education literature should be written at the 5th or 6th grade reading level.  The good news is that Microsoft Word allows us to view readability statistics, but the feature is turned off by default. 

To enable readability statistics, go to File (2010) or the Office icon (2007) > Options > Proofing.  Place a check mark by"show readability statistics."

Go to the Review ribbon menu and run Spelling & Grammar Check.  The readability statistics will appear after the spelling/grammar check is completed.  After you make edits to improve readability, to back to File > Options > Proofing and click on the Recheck Document button.

Quick tip:  To create documents with 5th or 6th grade reading level:

• Use 1-2 syllable words
• Use bullets when possible
• Use short sentences when bullets are not possible
• Avoid the use of paragraphs

Remember that ease of reading does not mean that the information is written for children; it means simply that is easy to read!