1. What is the SMOG Index?

The SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) index is a readability formula that estimates the years of education needed to understand a piece of writing. It is widely used to assess the readability of health information and other technical materials.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the SMOG formula:

Where:

• \( polysyllables \) — Count of words with three or more syllables
• \( sentences \) — Total number of sentences in the text

Explanation: The formula calculates readability based on the relationship between complex words and sentence structure, providing a grade level estimate.

3. Importance of Readability Assessment

Details: Readability assessment is crucial for ensuring that written materials are accessible to the target audience, particularly in healthcare, education, and public information contexts.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the count of polysyllabic words (3+ syllables) and the total number of sentences. Both values must be valid (polysyllables ≥ 0, sentences > 0).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What does the SMOG score represent?
A: The SMOG score indicates the approximate grade level of education needed to understand the text (e.g., score of 10 = 10th grade level).

Q2: How accurate is the SMOG formula?
A: SMOG is considered one of the most accurate readability formulas, with a correlation of about 0.985 with comprehension scores.

Q3: What is considered a good SMOG score?
A: For general public materials, a score of 7-8 is recommended. For specialized audiences, scores up to 12 may be appropriate.

Q4: How should polysyllabic words be counted?
A: Count words with three or more syllables, excluding proper nouns, familiar jargon, and compound words formed from simple words.

Q5: What are the limitations of the SMOG formula?
A: SMOG may overestimate difficulty for technical texts with necessary complex terminology and doesn't account for sentence meaning or context.