Quote:
DePriest) writes:
>|> Try writing a program that will calculate the reading level of
material
>|> that you input into it. I did this with the FORCAST method, which is
>|> really meant for technical, military and industrial materials and
manuals,
>|> but here's a synopsis
>|>
>|> 1. Count off exactly 150 words
>|> 2. In that passage of 150 words, count all of the one-syllable words
>|> 3. Divide the answer for step 2 by ten
>|> 4. Subtract the answer for step 3 from 20
>|> 5. That is the grade level.
>|>
>|> You cannot possibly write a formula that will identify single-syllable
>|> words flawlessly, so I'd guess that you'll have to write a routine
that
>|> will check to see if it already knows whether a word is one-syllable
or
>|> not, then if not, ask, and store that answer off to disk for later
use.
>The secret to syllables is vowels. Count the unconnected vowels and you
>can count the syllables. To be more precise you can look for special
>dual vowels. I wrote a basic program on a commodre many years ago that
>computed the fog index. This worked well
While this technique should work with most of the words, there are
exceptions to every rule. It was my intention to come up with a method
that handles every possible contingency. In fact, I still need to put in a
routine that allows you to change a word from one number of syllables to
another. For example, "am" can be one syllable or two, as in the sentence,
"I am arriving at 3 am." Another dual possibility is "id", which can be
read short i, the id, rhymes with did or rid, or as Eye-Dee, as in ID
bracelet.
At the end of this note, I have listed some of the exceptions that must be
handled by the algorithm: (and these are the ones that I have found so
far, there are surely many more, which prevents a program from finding all
of them)
Yes, I can set up rules, which I've done with a pattern-finder program,
but they can only be guidelines. Instead, I store all my results in a file
and let the program use the words as they have been filed.
& (1 syl.)
numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 12 all have one syllable)
VCC: ESL, ETC (pronounced EE-ESS-ELL and ET-SET-ER-UH)
CCV: DWI, LTA (both pronounced as individual letters)
CVV: KOE (also pronounced as individual letters)
VCCE: able has 2 while edge, else and once all have 1
VCVC: USED has 1 syllable, even, ages, open, over, upon all have 2
CVCCE: Curve, false, merge, judge, purge, range, sense, valve, all 1
circle, middle, single, tackle, all 2
VCCVC: ARMED has 1 syllable, everything else has 2
CVCVC: BASED, bored, comes, fines, fixed, gives, lanes, lines, lives,
miles, moved, moves, rules, takes, times, tires, tuned, waved, waves, all
1
many examples with 2, including FACES, NOTED, PAGES, WAGES, which
one possible rule would have called 1
CVVCC: Being, Doing and Going all have 2, BOING has 1
CCVCCE: Bridge, Change, Charge have 1, straddle has 2 (but a double
consonant rule could take care of this one)
CVCCVC: curves, forced, helped, killed, linked, locked, marked, packed,,
parked, passed, signed, turned all have 1
forces, passes, posted, samples all have 2, among others
CCVCVC: brakes, closed, glazed, grades, states, stores, themes, 1
spaces, 2
CVVCVC: caused, jailed, routes, 1
guided, needed, 2
CCVVCE,, choose and please,, 1
create, 2
CVVCCE: course, 1
double and people, 2
CVCVCC: toward, 1
many other examples, 2
CCVCCVC: blocked, checked, crossed, stopped, 1
branded, changes, classes, printed, started, 2
Anyone willing to help HS student?