Automated Readability Index (ARI)
Measures text reading difficulty levels.
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About
The Automated Readability Index (ARI) is a tool that measures how hard text is to read. It gives a score that matches US grade levels - like 8th grade or 12th grade. Unlike other reading tests, ARI counts letters and characters instead of syllables, which makes it faster for computers to use. The formula looks at how many characters are in words and how many sentences there are. Higher scores mean the text is harder to read.
| Score | Age | Grade level |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5-6 | Kindergarten |
| 2 | 6-7 | First grade |
| 3 | 7-8 | Second grade |
| 4 | 8-9 | Third grade |
| 5 | 9-10 | Fourth grade |
| 6 | 10-11 | Fifth grade |
| 7 | 11-12 | Sixth grade |
| 8 | 12-13 | Seventh grade |
| 9 | 13-14 | Eighth grade |
| 10 | 14-15 | Ninth grade |
| 11 | 15-16 | Tenth grade |
| 12 | 16-17 | Eleventh grade |
| 13 | 17-18 | Twelfth grade |
| 14 | 18-22 | College student |
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