Reading is not just about understanding individual words, but about understanding the overall meaning of sentences, paragraphs and the content as a whole.

Readability is therefore about how easily readers can access the meanings and messages of the text. Creating text that is readable for a variety of audiences is about using understandable words, understandable sentences and familiar formats. Making the text engaging and interesting also supports readability (see Writing for further information).

This section covers:

• Understandable words

• Understandable sentences

• Familiar text formats

• Readability metrics and reading skills

• Readability targets for different audiences.

A useful resource is the evidence-based Readability guidelines, being developed by an international group of expert contributors. The guidelines include a readability checklist to help you to achieve clear, readable content.

See also Multicultural audiences for advice on presenting translated information, and Easy read and other formats for advice on developing content for audiences with low reading abilities.