11 ASW = average number of syllables per word the number of
syllables divided by the number of words. To estimate reading grade and its description can be seen from
reading ease score, it is shown in table 2.2 below. Table 2.2
Reading Ease Scale Reading Ease Score
Style Description Estimated Reading Grade
0 to 30 30 to 40
50 to 60 60 to 70
70 to 80 80 to 90
90 to 100 Very Difficult
Difficult Fairly Difficult
Standard Fairly Easy
Easy Very Easy
College graduate 13
th
to 16
th
grade 10
th
to 12
th
grade 8
th
to 9
th
grade 7
th
grade 6
th
grade 5
th
grade Source: The Classic Readability Studies
11
From the explanation above known that measuring readability of texts and books have been done since the earliest of 1930s. It indicates
that comprehending the content of a text or book is very important to make sense the author’s ideas. The classic readability formulas as
overviewed by Dubay with their limitations might be able to stimulate many researchers who are interested in investigating whether readability
books, passages, newsletters, magazines and textbooks. It is proved by appearing many researchers with their new ideas to improve the classics
readability formulas.
2. New Readability Formulas
The new readability formulas are as the development and improvement of classics readability formulas. Since there are many
questions regarding the criterion passages, criterion scores and the reading tests in which the formulas developed and validated. Emerging
of new readability formulas indicate that this field get much attention from researchers in determining the readability of books or passages. The
following are the explanation of new readability formulas among others Coleman Formulas, Flesch Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability
Index ARI, and SMOG.
11
Dubay. Op. Cit., p. 97.
12 a
Coleman Formulas Coleman formulas as explained by Dubay were introduced by
Edmund B. Coleman. The formulas are used in a research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation. He published four
readability formulas for general use; among other they are very important for predicting mean cloze scores percentage of correct cloze
completions. Coleman was also the first who used cloze procedures as a criterion rather than the conventional multiple-choice reading tests or
rankings by judges. The four formulas use different variables shown as the followings:
12
C = 1.29w – 38.45
C = 1.16w + 1.48s – 37.95
C = 1.07s + 1.18s + .76p – 34.02
C = 1.04w + 1.06s + .56p – .36prep – 26.01
Where: C = percentage of correct cloze completions;
w = number of one-syllable words per 100 words
s = number of sentences per 100 words
p = number of pronouns per 100 words
Prep = number of prepositions per 100 words b
Bormuth Mean Cloze Formula The second one is the Bormuth Mean Cloze Formula. This
formula is introduced by John Bormuth which intends to measure the degrees of reading power. This formula uses three variables namely
number of words on the original Dale-Chall list of 3,000, average sentence length in words, and average word length in letters. The
Bormuth Mean Cloze Formula is as follows:
13
R = .886593 – .083640 LETW + .161911 DLLW
3
– 0.021401 WSEN + .000577 WSEN
2
– .000005 WSEN
3
DRP = 1-R x 100 Where: R
= mean cloze score LET = letters in passage X
W = words in passage X
DLL = Number of words in the original Dale-Chall list in passage X
SEN = Sentences in passage X
12
William H. Dubay. The Principles of Readability, Costa Mesa, CA: Impact Information. 2004, p. 42.
13
Ibid., p. 44.
