Glossary
Terms used in accessibility research and practice. Each entry has a definition, common aliases, and category tags.
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- SMOG(also: SMOG Index, SMOG Grade, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook)
- A readability formula developed by G. Harry McLaughlin in 1969 that estimates the years of education needed to understand a text, based on the number of polysyllabic words (three or more syllables) in a fixed sample of sentences. SMOG is widely used in healthcare communication…
- Sans-Serif Font(also: sans serif, grotesque font)
- A typeface that lacks the small projecting lines (serifs) at the ends of letter strokes. Sans-serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana are generally recommended for screen readability and are often preferred for users with dyslexia. Research shows sans-serif fonts lead to…
- Serif Font(also: roman typeface)
- A typeface with small decorative lines or strokes (serifs) at the ends of letter strokes. Common serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, and Georgia. While traditionally associated with print legibility, serif fonts have shown mixed results for screen readability.…
- Speed-Comprehension Trade-off(also: Speed-Accuracy Trade-off in Reading)
- An empirical pattern in readability research: typographic, layout, and presentation choices that increase reading speed often reduce comprehension accuracy, and vice versa. For example, sans-serif faces and shorter line lengths tend to support faster reading but may yield lower…
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