The Concerns and Aims of Readability
The study of what makes a text readable was first undertaken by educators about 60 years ago.[See Jeanne S. Chall, "The Beginning Years" in Readability: Its Past, Present, and Future. Beverley L. Zakaluk and S. Jay Samuels, eds. (Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association, 1988), pp. 2-13.] They wanted textbooks and other reading materials used in schools to be understandable to students. For this reason, the readability of a text is often given as a number representing a grade level. However, assigning a grade level to a written work is not an exact science. Most grade level assignments are based on numerical formulas that count sentence length (most often in words) and word length (most often in syllables).

Computers can quickly count words and syllables and compute a grade level according to a formula. Even some sophisticated word processors on personal computers are able to produce a grade level analysis and a few other statistics relating to readability.

While helpful, these formulas have limitations. While sentence length and word length are very important factors in determining whether an English text is readable, they are not the only factors. In addition, these formulas were never intended to be guides on how to write. They were intended to help analyze a text after it has been written.

Alice Davison notes, "Since formulas do not define the sources of difficulty, they cannot be used as guidelines for writing." [Alice Davison, "Assigning Grade Levels without Formulas: Some Case Studies" in Readability: Its Past, Present, and Future. Beverley L. Zakaluk and S. Jay Samuels, eds. (Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association, 1988), p. 37.]Davison points out that readability formulas do not identify what specific feature makes a text difficult to read. While long sentences generally are harder to read, some short sentences can also be very hard to read. Some long sentences can be very easy to read. Therefore, making a text readable is a matter of balancing a number of factors.

GOD'S WORD^® was produced to be as readable as possible. The translators and English reviewers took many factors that affect readability into account during their work. Furthermore, since some parts of the Bible are written on different levels than others, assigning a grade level to a Bible translation is a very inaccurate way to judge how easy it is to read.

Factors Affecting Readability
The following are some of the factors that the translation team for GOD'S WORD^® took into account.

Reducing syntactical complexity

1. Sentence length. Shorter sentences tend to be less difficult to read because they contain fewer ideas and fewer connections between ideas. However, variation in sentence length is desirable. A text that contains only short sentences becomes monotonous to read. A text that contains only long, complicated sentences is difficult to read. While some portions of the Bible are difficult for translators to break into shorter sentences, doing so can be accomplished with the proper effort and care. One example is Ephesians 1:20-21. In one modern English translation these verses are translated as one sentence containing sixty-two words. In another translation they are a fifty-five word sentence. In GOD'S WORD^® these verses read:

   He [God] worked with that same power in Christ when he brought him back to life and gave him the highest position in heaven. He is far above all rulers, authorities, powers, lords, and all other names that can be named, not only in this present world but also in the world to come.

   GOD'S WORD^® does not use short sentences in these verses (which would involve a loss of meaning). Yet, the translation does avoid translating these verses as one long sentence.

    

2. Number of clauses. Sentences containing more than one clause are harder to read, since the reader must be able to understand the connection between the thoughts contained in the various clauses. GOD'S WORD^® avoids multiple clause sentences where appropriate.

    

3. Number of prepositional phrases. Sentences that contain a pileup of prepositional phrases can be difficult to read. The translation team for GOD'S WORD^® used prepositional phrases where necessary and carefully chose the prepositions that were used.

    

4. Modifier depth. Modifying one word with a number of modifiers adds complexity to the thought of a sentence. The phrase "the big, dappled, gray, galloping horse" contains four modifiers for the word horse. GOD'S WORD^® avoids multiple modifiers where possible.

    

5. Modifier distance. Words that modify another word in a sentence should be as close as possible to the word they modify. For instance, 1 Samuel 25:34 in one translation reads:

   Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.

   The phrase who has kept me from harming you modifies LORD, but is separated from LORD by the phrase the God of Israel (which also modifies LORD) and the verb lives. The same verse in GOD'S WORD^® reads:

   But I solemnly swear--as the LORD God of Israel, who has kept me from harming you, lives--if you hadn't come to meet me quickly, Nabal certainly wouldn't have had one of his men left at dawn.

    

6. Voice. Passive verbs contribute to making a sentence more complex. Passive constructions not only require more words, but also obscure the real source of the action. GOD'S WORD^® uses passive constructions where appropriate, but avoids overusing them.

Reducing semantic complexity

1. Infrequently used vocabulary. Between eighty and ninety percent of the vocabulary used in common English consists of the 220 most frequently used words. Words that are used infrequently are more likely to be misunderstood. However, to translate the meaning of much of the Bible accurately, some less frequently used English words are needed. One example is the word lyre. A lyre is a musical instrument similar to a harp. Harps are also mentioned in the Bible. In fact, over twenty passages contain both lyre and harp. In cases like this, GOD'S WORD^® would use the more difficult word lyre, not only for accuracy, but also to be able to distinguish this word from harp. While GOD'S WORD^® tries to avoid infrequently used words, it does recognize the need to use them in some cases. However, GOD'S WORD^® uses more familiar words whenever possible.

    

2. Technical vocabulary. Many words have meanings that are used in a specialized field of study or vocation. These words are important for those who are in those fields, but they communicate poorly to those who are not. GOD'S WORD^® avoids using technical terms when acceptable alternatives are available.

    

3. Multisemantic words and phrases. The translation team for GOD'S WORD^® avoided using words and phrases that could have more than one meaning in context. For instance, Joel 2:11 in one translation reads:

   The day of the LORD is great;
   it is dreadful.
   Who can endure it?
   

   
   Joel 2:11 in GOD'S WORD^® reads:

   The day of the LORD is extremely terrifying. Who can endure it?

    

4. Polysyllabic words. Generally, the fewer syllables a word has, the more readable it is. GOD'S WORD^® uses shorter words when they can be appropriately substituted for longer ones.

    

5. Affixes ratio. Words with suffixes and prefixes tend to be harder to read because they add another element of meaning that readers must understand. English uses many affixes, and any English text will contain many affixed words. GOD'S WORD^® uses as few words with affixes as possible.

    

6. Anaphora. Anaphora are words or ideas that are repeated. To avoid repeating a noun, a pronoun can be used. However, if the noun to which the pronoun refers is not clear to the reader, repeating the noun may be preferable. The translation team of GOD'S WORD^® examined anaphora closely throughout the Translation Process.

    

7. Concept density. Concept density refers to the number of ideas contained in an expression. A sentence that contains many ideas is harder to read because readers have to spend extra energy analyzing the text. Sentences with fewer ideas are more readable. GOD'S WORD^® breaks distinct ideas into separate sentences when possible. For instance, Romans 5:17 in one translation reads:

   For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

   This sentence is so complicated that most people won't understand it. It contains forty-one words, at least five major concepts, eight prepositional phrases, and three verbs. In addition, it is a conditional sentence. GOD'S WORD^® translates this verse as

   It is certain that death ruled because of one person's failure. It's even more certain that those who receive God's overflowing kindness and the gift of his approval will rule in life because of one person, Jesus Christ.

   In GOD'S WORD^® the verse is two sentences with a total of four prepositional phrases. No sentence has more than two verbs. The average sentence length is nineteen words in contrast to forty-one words. The number of concepts per sentence has been reduced without any loss of meaning.

    

8. Abstract versus concrete words and phrases. Abstract concepts add difficulty to a text. Concrete words are more easily understood. At times, using one abstract word may produce a shorter sentence than using a concrete phrase in its place. However, the shorter sentence may actually be harder to understand because it is less specific. (See the example of the use of mighty hand and powerful arm discussed earlier.)

Since readability is determined by many factors, making a text readable is not a matter of mechanically applying a number of rules. Sometimes these factors conflict with each other. In these cases judgment is required to determine which is more important for a particular sentence based on its context. This is a challenge for translators, because translators, unlike authors, cannot decide to change what the text means to make it more readable.

The translation team for GOD'S WORD^® weighed the various factors that affect readability as they produced the translation. The readability of GOD'S WORD^® is not an accident. It is the result of the translation team's careful use of readability principles.