SMOG Readability Calculator

What is SMOG Readability?

The SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) readability formula is a tool used to estimate the reading grade level required to understand a piece of text. Developed by G. Harry McLaughlin in 1969, SMOG was created as an improvement over the Gunning Fog Index and has become especially popular in healthcare communications where ensuring text comprehension is critical.

Unlike other readability formulas that aim for 50-75% comprehension, SMOG is calibrated for 100% comprehension, making it more stringent but also more appropriate for important information that readers need to fully understand.

Why Use Our SMOG Readability Calculator?

Our SMOG readability calculator offers several advantages:

• Instant Analysis: Get immediate feedback on the complexity of your writing without manual calculations.
• Comprehensive Metrics: View not just the SMOG grade but also word counts, character counts, sentence counts, and syllable information.
• Education Level Assessment: Understand exactly which education level your content is appropriate for.
• Writing Improvement: Use the detailed statistics to identify where and how to simplify your text.
• User-Friendly: Simply paste your text and get results in real-time as you edit.

Whether you're a content creator, educator, healthcare professional, or anyone concerned with making your writing more accessible, our SMOG readability calculator helps ensure your content reaches its intended audience effectively.

How to Use the SMOG Readability Calculator

Using our SMOG readability calculator is simple:

1. Paste your text into the input box (for best results, use at least 30 sentences).
2. The calculator will automatically analyze your text and display the results.
3. Review your SMOG grade score to determine the education level required to understand your text.
4. Examine the detailed statistics about your text, including character count, word count, sentence count, and syllable information.
5. Use the information to refine your content if needed, making it more accessible to your target audience.
6. Click the Copy Results button to save your analysis for reference.

Remember that for the most accurate results, your sample should contain at least 30 sentences. If you provide fewer sentences, the calculator will still work but may be less reliable.

Understanding SMOG Scores

The SMOG score corresponds to the U.S. school grade level needed to comprehend the text:

• 4.9 or lower: Elementary school level - very simple text suitable for young readers.
• 5 - 8.9: Middle school level - straightforward content accessible to most people.
• 9 - 12.9: High school level - moderately complex, appropriate for general audience materials.
• 13 - 16.9: Undergraduate level - complex content suited for college-educated readers.
• 17 or higher: Graduate level - highly complex content that may require specialized knowledge.

For general audience materials, aim for a SMOG score between 7 and 9 to reach the widest possible readership.