{"id":13567,"date":"2016-02-04T13:45:55","date_gmt":"2016-02-04T17:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/?page_id=13567"},"modified":"2023-12-13T09:34:17","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T13:34:17","slug":"word-length","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the right word length for readability?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>What\u2019s the character count of your average word?<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30516\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30516\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"30516\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/word-length-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"word-length\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Words that work &lt;\/strong&gt;Word length is the top predictor of readability. So what\u2019s your average word length? &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/london-uk-june-28th-2018-word-1122939719&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image by chrisdorney&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png\" alt=\"Word length\" title=\"Word length\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30516 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length-300x200.png 300w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 450px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 450\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"30516\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/word-length-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png\" data-orig-size=\"450,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"word-length\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Words that work &lt;\/strong&gt;Word length is the top predictor of readability. So what\u2019s your average word length? &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/london-uk-june-28th-2018-word-1122939719&quot; rel=&quot;noopener&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Image by chrisdorney&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length-300x200.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png\" alt=\"Word length\" title=\"Word length\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length.png 450w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/word-length-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30516\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Words that work <\/strong>Word length is the top predictor of readability. So what\u2019s your average word length? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shutterstock.com\/image-photo\/london-uk-june-28th-2018-word-1122939719\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Image by chrisdorney<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<table class=\"indextable\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5px\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<h3 class=\"indextableheader\">Why reduce word length?<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"What is word length, and why should you care?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/11\/what-is-word-length-and-why-should-you-care\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/what-is-word-length-150.png\" alt=\"What is word length, and why should you care?\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/what-is-word-length-150.png\" alt=\"What is word length, and why should you care?\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"What is word length, and why should you care?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/11\/what-is-word-length-and-why-should-you-care\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What is word length, and why should you care?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">Short words No. 1 predictor of readability<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Small wonder: Long words get shared less often, suck the color from your piece \u2014 even make you sound like a liar. Why not choose short words?<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"indextable\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5px\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<h3 class=\"indextableheader\">What\u2019s the best word length?<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"What\u2019s the best length of a word online?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/11\/whats-the-best-length-of-a-word-online\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/whats-the-best-length-of-a-word-online-150.png\" alt=\"What\u2019s the best length of a word online?\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/whats-the-best-length-of-a-word-online-150.png\" alt=\"What\u2019s the best length of a word online?\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"What\u2019s the best length of a word online?\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/11\/whats-the-best-length-of-a-word-online\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What\u2019s the best length of a word online?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\"><em>The New York Times<\/em> averages 4.9 characters<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Short and sweet: Why write <em>employment<\/em> when you can write <em>jobs<\/em>? Save your readers processing time by choosing short words.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"indextable\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5px\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<h3 class=\"indextableheader\">How to reduce word length<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"How to hit the best word length for blog posts, other content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/11\/how-to-hit-the-best-word-length-for-blog-posts-other-content\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/best-word-length-for-blog-posts-150.png\" alt=\"How to hit the best word length for blog posts, other content\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/best-word-length-for-blog-posts-150.png\" alt=\"How to hit the best word length for blog posts, other content\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"How to hit the best word length for blog posts, other content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/11\/how-to-hit-the-best-word-length-for-blog-posts-other-content\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to hit the best word length for blog posts, other content<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">Choose Anglo-Saxon words, write to \u2018you\u2019 &amp; more<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Words have power, and short words are more powerful than long ones: So stop stressing over the number of words you should hit in your blog post or other content, and start focusing on the number of characters in your words. <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"Write like Churchill \u2014 in one-syllable words\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/12\/write-like-churchill-in-one-syllable-words\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/one-syllable-words-150.png\" alt=\"Write like Churchill \u2014 in one-syllable words\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/one-syllable-words-150.png\" alt=\"Write like Churchill \u2014 in one-syllable words\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"Write like Churchill \u2014 in one-syllable words\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/12\/write-like-churchill-in-one-syllable-words\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Write like Churchill \u2014 in one-syllable words<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">\u2018Short words are best, and old words when short are the best of all\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Want to improve reading ease? Take a tip from Winston Churchill: Use mostly one-syllable words.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"indextable\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5px\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<h3 class=\"indextableheader\">Choose the right words<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"How to avoid noun phrases\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/12\/how-to-avoid-noun-phrases\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/noun-phrase-150.png\" alt=\"How to avoid noun phrases\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/noun-phrase-150.png\" alt=\"How to avoid noun phrases\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"How to avoid noun phrases\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/12\/how-to-avoid-noun-phrases\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to avoid noun phrases<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">They suck the energy out of your copy<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Reverbify noun phrases: Noun phrases muddy your words, lengthen your phrases and bore your readers. Turn anemic noun phrases into strong verbs.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"Don\u2019t commit verbicide: Choose verbs, not nouns\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/12\/dont-commit-verbicide-choose-verbs-not-nouns\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/verbicide-150.png\" alt=\"Don\u2019t commit verbicide: Choose verbs, not nouns\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/verbicide-150.png\" alt=\"Don\u2019t commit verbicide: Choose verbs, not nouns\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"Don\u2019t commit verbicide: Choose verbs, not nouns\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/2021\/12\/dont-commit-verbicide-choose-verbs-not-nouns\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Don\u2019t commit verbicide: Choose verbs, not nouns<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">Action words streamline syllables<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Stop putting your copy through the de-verb-orizer: Verbs streamline syllables and make copy easier to read.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<table class=\"indextable\" border=\"0\" width=\"100%\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"5px\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<h3 class=\"indextableheader\">More on the right word length for readability<\/h3>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"Resources on average word length\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/resources-on-average-word-length\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"28651\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/writing-process\/resources-on-the-writing-process\/resources-red-book-150\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" data-orig-size=\"150,150\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"resources-red-book-150\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" alt=\"Resources on average word length\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-28651 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150-100x100.png 100w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"28651\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/writing-process\/resources-on-the-writing-process\/resources-red-book-150\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" data-orig-size=\"150,150\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"resources-red-book-150\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png\" alt=\"Resources on average word length\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-28651\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/resources-red-book-150-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"Resources on average word length\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/resources-on-average-word-length\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Resources on average word length<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">Websites, books &amp; other tools<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">Decrease word length and increase understanding with these tools<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<hr \/>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"indextabletdleft\"><a title=\"Quotes on average word length\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/quotes-on-average-word-length\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/quotes-150.png\" alt=\"Quotes on average word length\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 150px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 150\/150;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/quotes-150.png\" alt=\"Quotes on average word length\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" border=\"0\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/td>\n<td class=\"indextabletdright\">\n<p class=\"index-story-headline\"><a title=\"Quotes on average word length\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyliecomm.com\/writing-tips\/what-is-readability\/word-length\/quotes-on-average-word-length\/\" target=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Quotes on average word length<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-deck\">What writers and others say<\/p>\n<p class=\"index-story-intro\">\u201cNever use a big word when a diminutive phrase can be utilized.\u201d \u2014 Anonymous<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 20px;\">Get <a class=\"locked\" title=\"More word length tips\" href=\"https:\/\/revvingupreadership.com\/writing\/readability\/word-length\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>more tips on word length tips<\/strong><\/a> on RevvingUpReadership.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What\u2019s the character count of your average word? Why reduce word length? What is word length, and why should you care? Short words No. 1 predictor of readability Small wonder: Long words get shared less often, suck the color from your piece \u2014 even make you sound like a liar. Why not choose short words? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30516,"parent":3930,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-13567","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"entry"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v23.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s the right word length for readability?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Words that work: Word length is the top predictor of readability. 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