Download Readability Index Gunning Fog Index

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
1. Take a full passage that is around 100 words
(do not omit any sentences).
2. Find the average sentence length (divide the
number of words by the number of sentences).
3. Count the percentage (%) of complex words
(words with three or more syllables - root words).
4. Add the average sentence length and the
percentage of complex words.
5. Multiply the result by 0.4.
6. 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?
1. Know your readers.
2. Avoid long sentences.
3. Use simple words/terms.