The Action Score

Will your readers know what to do?

Grammatically correct isn't the same as easy to act on. Every tool measures readability — we measure the Action Score: the share of readers who land the action you actually intended. That's the number that predicts errors, calls and complaints. See before & after →

The difference we measure

Same message, told two ways. One is easy to act on, one isn't. Flesch can't tell them apart. We can.

Version A · the usual memo

The new IT-security course is in the Learning Portal. Staff are asked to be aware of it before 15 March. It takes about twenty minutes. HR can help those who need it.

Flesch 79.7 · Action Score 40

Version B · same facts, clearer

You must complete the IT-security course in the Learning Portal before 15 March. It takes about twenty minutes. If you need help, ask HR.

Flesch 71.8 · Action Score 72

Flesch rates Version A as easier (79.7 vs 71.8). The Action Score shows the opposite: only 40% of readers land the right action in A, vs 72% in B. In Danish, LIX scores the two 22.7 vs 23.1. Identical. It can't see the difference at all.

What the Action Score is

Clarity asks whether a reader can read your text (readability — LIX and Flesch). The Action Score asks the harder question: will they know what to do? We have a language model read your text and choose between the action you intended and the most likely misreadings — the share that lands on the right one is your Action Score. So 70 means about seven in ten readers infer the action you meant.

The two can move apart: a text can read easily and still leave the reader unsure what to do — or read a little harder but point clearly at one action. That gap is exactly what the Action Score catches and readability formulas cannot. Dansk: Klarhed = kan de læse den? Action Score = ved de, hvad de skal gøre?

Try it on your own text