I hate reading large blocks of text that never end. Or sentences with so complex wording that make me feel I’m deciphering a puzzle. For me, it’s uninviting, and not just me; your readers may feel the same way.
Strong ideas, if not conveyed with clear wording and formatting, can lose impact. According to a study by the Nielsen Norman Group, readers typically read about 20-28% of the text on a web page, focusing on scanning instead of reading it fully. This shows that most of the content on a page is scanned by the reader and not read word by word. So when sentences feel bulky and the formatting looks cluttered, readers might leave quickly. This shows how important readability is in determining whether your message is actually read or ignored.
Clear, readable text helps readers grab your ideas and thoughts. It saves the time of the readers they spend digesting your content, and in turn, they better connect with your content. But how can you write text that is easy to read and make your formatting clean? This is what I’ll help you learn in this blog. I’ll share a few potential tips that can help you write and format text for better readability.
Why Readability Matters
As I already told you above, people skim your page before they read it and then decide whether to continue reading or skip it. Blogs, tutorials, notes, and instructions are often scanned by readers to determine if they are worth their attention. So when the text seems well-formatted, and sentences are short and crisp, your content becomes instantly approachable. Clear headings, proper spacing, and short sentences help readers locate the key points. Good readability allows the readers to scan your text easily, helping them absorb and retain the information.
How to Make Your Text Clear and Easy to Read
The following are some of the best ways to make your text clear and easy to read.
Write with a Clear Structure
Your text becomes properly structured when you have organized your content into logical sections. Make sure that each section serves a specific purpose. Also, write proper headings because they tell the readers what’s coming next, and they can then navigate easily.
For example, in a blog about email writing, one part could cover topic lines. Another part may address body text. Mixing both concepts in one section makes the content harder to follow.
Your paragraphs should focus on one idea at a time. Avoid writing long and unappealing blocks of text. Instead, write short paragraphs so that your text flows easily.
Add Key Points with Bullets or a Numbered List
Lists are really good for improving the readability of your text. They break up the text visually and make information easier to remember. Add numbered lists and bullet points in your content to enable readers to grasp several ideas fast. Also, they give your content a natural rhythm and flow.
In the image above, you can see the keypoints are written with bullets. These are especially useful when you are explaining steps or tips. They guide the readers naturally.
Focus on Clarity and Flow
When you write something, read it thoroughly and remove words that seem unnecessary. Avoid repetition and maintain a logical sentence sequence. Your main goal should be to make the content easy to follow while keeping the core message intact.
For example, the sentence “Due to the fact that formatting plays a role in readability” can be simplified to “Formatting affects readability.” The second one has the same meaning as the first one, but it is shorter and easier to read.
Focusing on context, together with how you deliver it, can make the reading experience smoother and engaging.
Consider Line Spacing
Spacing holds more importance than many writers think. Proper line and paragraph spacing help the reader’s eyes move smoothly from one line to the text. It improves their reading comfort, especially when reading long articles or reports. Similarly, tight spacing can cause eye strain and make even short sections difficult to read.
Below is an image showing good line and paragraph spacing.
Spacing also adds clarity to the text. Your content becomes more approachable. Adequate spacing, margins, and paragraph breaks improve readability without changing content.
Write and Format in an Online Notepad
Your formatting should improve the understanding of the readers and not distract them from reading. Bold and italics are useful for highlighting some important words. Bold text helps draw the attention of the readers to the key ideas, whereas italics highlight details or terminologies.
Write in a consistent font throughout your text with adequate spacing to keep a clean appearance. Sudden changes in style, size, or font can confuse the readers. To maintain consistency, I write on online notepad. It provides me with a simple yet useful layout and multiple options to format text simultaneously. With this tool, I can adjust spacing, add headings, and keep the structure clean without switching between different tools.
Such tools are getting popular among writers as they offer the combined benefit of drafting and formatting together in one simple interface. This helps reduce the time and effort and promotes easy readability.
Edit Text with Reader in Mind
Your writing improves when you review it from a reader’s perspective. So step back and think about how someone unfamiliar with the content can experience it when they first look at your content. Find long sentences, simplify them, and sections where formatting might confuse the readers.
Make small adjustments in your content. They create a big difference in how your content is perceived. Break up a bulky paragraph, add a heading, or rephrase a sentence. Such changes can dramatically improve clarity and readability. These may seem small improvements. But they ensure that the reader’s attention stays on your ideas and does not get diverted due to poor structure.
Summing Up
A clear and readable text shows your respect for the reader’s time and attention. Maintain a good structure, thoughtful formatting, and precise wording. These help make your content more effective.
Use bullet points strategically in your text when explaining keypoints or a process. When readers don’t have to struggle with finding keypoints from long or dense paragraphs, they can better focus on your message. I’ve explained the most essential ways to improve your structure and formatting above. Try a few and see how they improve the readability of every piece you create.