The Linsear Write formula is a readability metric developed for the U.S. Air Force to assess the readability of technical manuals. It was based on John O'Hayre's 1966 work "Gobbledygook Has Gotta Go." Linsear Write uses easy words (≤2 syllables) and hard words (3+ syllables) to estimate the U.S. grade level needed to read a text.

Easy words (≤2 syllables) count as 1 point each; hard words (3+ syllables) count as 3 points each. We divide total points by the number of sentences to get r. If r > 20, the score is r/2; if r ≤ 20, the score is r/2 - 1. The result maps to U.S. grade levels from elementary through beyond college.

A score of 5–7 indicates elementary school level; 8–9 is junior high; 10–12 is high school; 13–16 is college; 17+ is beyond college. For general audiences, aim for 8–9 or lower. The original scale rated 70–80 points (before adjustment) as suitable for average adult readers.

Linsear Write uses easy vs hard words (based on syllable count) with a different scoring system—easy words get 1 point, hard words get 3 points. SMOG focuses only on polysyllabic words; Flesch-Kincaid counts all syllables. Linsear Write is similar to the Fry readability formula and was designed for technical documentation.

Use Linsear Write when you need a readability measure designed for technical manuals or when you want a formula that distinguishes between easy (≤2 syllables) and hard (3+ syllables) words. It works well for technical documentation and is similar in spirit to the Fry formula.