Pretty basic stuff but then again, it's amazing how many people still don't know it.

Thanks for this post.
How's my score?
4 words, 4 syllables.

At a Loss 4 Words Rated

I started my haiga project to improve my other writing.

I like small words!

I doubt many OSers need advice on how to write a memo. Many do need advice on how to write good essays, but aiming them towards people with third grade reading skills is not the solution.

The scoring system might be useful for engineers writing memos or instruction booklets, but I'm convinced it is dumbing down the reading skills of the public.

It's invaded publishing.

I just ignored all that scoring stuff. It is a dumbing down. I do believe what Orwell said, at least I think it was Orwell: never use a big word where a small one will do.

Spam alert! Spam alert! I kid, of course. Never heard of the Flesch test. We are all guilty of clear and concise oversight. Shame on us.
Keep 'em coming, Wayne!

emma - we can all stand a reminder now and then
Trudge - keepin' it simple
elizabeth - submitted any to the WHA website?
Malusinka - Brooks is aiming his message primarily at PR folks, so much of what he proposes doesn't apply to writers of poetry, fiction, etc. Perhaps I should have included this caviat in the post.
emma - what I said above
Michael - maybe you're better off without Flesch. It's like St. Paul's Epistles - the spirit is willing but the Flesch is weak? (:groan:)

Writing takes practice, practice, practice. You also have to understand, love and sometimes taste the words you're using. Draw deep on any natural talent. Read good writers. Edit yourself carefully. Then practice some more.

Google Alerts just brought me here. Thanks for the post. (I'm the guy in the video.)When people rip on Flesch it's most often the "dumbing down" charge that they raise. That, though, misses the point.

If you look at some of the greatest speeches in US history and do a Flesch test on them, they ALL score well (60 or above). No one ever accuses Barack Obama of speaking down to the public. In fact, he's seen as one of the brightest men ever to serve as president. His inaugural speech scored a 72.5 and he's careful in all his writing and speaking to stay above 60. John Kennedy's speeches did the same, as did Martin Luther King's and even Abraham Lincoln's.

Want to write a best-selling novel? A study done a few years ago looked at the Flesch scores of what was then the top 10 novels, according to The New York Times. Their average Flesch score was 83.0. These were not kids books. These were books aimed at mainstream adults. The books clearly connected with readers because the writers knew more than just how to tell a good story. They knew how to choose words. And what rule did they follow across the board? Use big words sparingly.

The comment that my lessons are mostly for PR people is true (PRWritingClass.com), but only because those of us in PR are paid to deliver our client's messages. The lessons of clear, concise writing, though, are good ones for anyone who wants what they write to be easily understood, whether it's an email, a memo, a big report or even a book.

Did you feel this post spoke down to you? It scored an 87 Flesch. If you want to test something that you write, I have a free tool on my website. Simply copy and paste your draft into the field and click on Get Results. It gives you the score in a blink.

RCH - thanks for dropping by. Writers of poetry especially need to understand and love the words they choose.
Wiley - glad you got directed here. I did visit your website and offered a couple of my pieces (one flash-fiction, one poem) to the Flesch scorer. They didn't score so well, although I consider them both well written, and comments here indicate that OS members also liked them.

I still contend that for those writing poetry, fantasy, sci-fi, speculative fiction, etc., the Flesch score may be less important than the tone or "atmosphere".

Hi Wayne - I doubt that Dr. Flesch had poetry in mind when he started. :-) I wouldn't discount its use in quality fiction, though. I've tested some recent novels across several genres. The ones that the public likes enough to buy generally score very well: mid-70s to mid-80s.

Now, some people write for themselves, not the public. I don't have a problem with that. There are no rules when you write for yourself. I can't imagine writing poetry for anyone other than oneself, which is probably why few people can make a living at poetry. I'd say, though, that if you are writing a novel, you likely harbor a thought or two of making a buck from it. And if that's the case, Flesch can be your financial advisor.

Someone once asked me if I thought many of these novelists diligently copy and pasted their words into a Flesch tool. I doubt it. Some people just know this stuff intuitively. Most of us don't, though. We need someone - or, most likely, something - to ask us if we really want to use that big word. It's still our choice.

Works for me. Syllable is the only word I know over two syllables.