1. What is the SMOG Readability Formula?

The SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) formula estimates the years of education needed to understand a piece of writing. It's widely used in healthcare and other fields to assess text difficulty.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the SMOG formula:

Where:

• Polysyllabic words — Words with 3 or more syllables
• 30 sentences — Standard sample size for SMOG calculation

Explanation: The formula assumes that text difficulty primarily depends on the number of complex (polysyllabic) words.

3. Importance of Readability Assessment

Details: Assessing reading level helps ensure materials match the audience's literacy skills, which is crucial in healthcare, education, and public communication.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Count the number of polysyllabic words (3+ syllables) in a 30-sentence sample of your text and enter the total count.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's considered a good SMOG score?
A: For general public materials, aim for ≤8th grade level. For healthcare, ≤6th grade is often recommended.

Q2: How accurate is SMOG compared to other formulas?
A: SMOG is considered one of the most reliable and tends to estimate higher than other formulas.

Q3: Should proper nouns be counted?
A: Yes, count all polysyllabic words including proper nouns, unless they're very familiar to your audience.

Q4: What if my text has fewer than 30 sentences?
A: Use all available sentences but note the result may be less accurate. Alternatively, scale up your count proportionally.

Q5: Does SMOG work for languages other than English?
A: The formula was designed for English. Other languages may need different readability formulas.