What is Readability, and Does it Matter? | Readability Matters

Get More Done: Improve Reading Speed, Accuracy, and Comprehension

Increasingly, reading is done on digital devices. Technology provides an opportunity to move from a one-size-fits-all model to one personalized for each reader. Small changes to text format can improve readability and maximize the reader’s ability to comprehend quickly and accurately.

Readability Does Matter. Readers of all ages and ability levels-young and old, good, and poor readers-may benefit from changes to text format. There is no single best font or text format for all readers; personalization is required.

Independent research has shown that adults can improve their reading speed by as much as 10 pages per hour by changing the font alone. For children, Readability Matters has seen an instantaneous change to the speed of accurate reading of as much as 20–50%.

What is Readability?

There are two different factors that influence the readability of text. The complexity and syntax of the content can make it difficult to read; the typographic presentation of the content also determines how readable a text is.

Readability Matters defines “Readability” as the ease with which a reader can recognize words, sentences, and paragraphs. The choice of typeface, characteristics of the type, and page layout can create a better (or worse) reading experience.

To improve readability, everyone needs the ability to control character shape, width, and weight, size, character, and line spacing.

What Can You do Now?

While reading applications will get better at allowing you to adjust the text to your best reading format, there are things you can do now to help improve your reading outcomes.

First, explore Readability Features in the Readability Matters Sandbox to see which features are most important to you. Or, try the Virtual Readability Lab tests to see which font or character spacing is best for you.

Visit the Readability Hacks Aa Report to learn what major reading app providers (Adobe, Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and more) are delivering today.

Teachers and parents of struggling students should consider using clean round fonts. Readability Matters has had success using the free Google fonts Montserrat and Noto Sans.

Reading Impacts, Opportunities for All

With access to personalized material, readers of all ages may read more and read longer, thus increasing learning capacity, reader confidence, educational and life opportunities.

Originally published at https://readabilitymatters.org on February 16, 2021.