Table 2.
Text length and readability metrics for reliable (N=1346) and unreliable (N=648) online news articles. The text length was expressed as the average sentence length and word length. Readability was expressed using the Flesch-Kincaid grade level, the Dale-Chall readability index, the ARIa, the Coleman-Liau index, the Gunning fog index, and the Linsear Write index.
| Metrics | Reliable mean (SD) | Unreliable mean (SD) | t (df) | P value |
| Average word length (characters) | 6.14 (0.27) | 6.32 (1.66) | –3.93 (1992) | <.001 |
| Average sentence length (words) | 23.67 (5.17) | 26.38 (7.06) | –9.70 (1992) | <.001 |
| Flesch-Kincaid grade level | 12.68 (2.63) | 14.39 (3.37) | –12.38 (1992) | <.001 |
| Gunning fog index | 14.87 (2.72) | 16.42 (3.33) | –11.00 (1992) | <.001 |
| Coleman-Liau index | 10.85 (1.87) | 11.82 (2.46) | –9.72 (1992) | <.001 |
| Dale-Chall index | 10.21 (0.96) | 10.70 (1.02) | –10.53 (1992) | <.001 |
| ARI | 13.41 (3.30) | 15.43 (4.47) | –11.41 (1992) | <.001 |
| Linsear Write index | 16.42 (4.02) | 18.73 (5.31) | –10.80 (1992) | <.001 |
aARI: automated readability index.