Not surprisingly, some things are easier to read than others. There is a fundamental difference between The Cat in the Hat and Finnegan’s Wake. But how do you describe and measure that difference? Readability.
Readability roughly measures what level of education someone will need to have completed to understand a certain piece of reading. There are different systems of calculating readability, based on various qualities. These qualities include: perceptibility, reading speed, and eye movements.
Readability is important for a few reasons. It helps teachers determine what books their students should be reading. It also gives teachers a measure of how well their young readers are progressing. Readability gives marketers and journalist a gauge of what copy to write for what audience. It also allows lawyers and politicians to make their documents more (or less) easily understood by the public.