Intelligibilitet

Intelligibilitet (intelligibility) is the quality or state of being understandable or graspable by a recipient. The word comes from Latin intelligibilis, meaning capable of understanding, and is used in several disciplines to discuss how easily information can be interpreted.

In linguistics and speech science, intelligibility describes how well a spoken message can be understood by a listener. Factors that affect intelligibility include articulation, pronunciation, speech rate, accent, background noise, and hearing ability. Objective tests and perceptual judgments are used to assess intelligibility in research and clinical settings, and it informs the design of speech processing systems, hearing aids, and telecommunications.

In education and communication, intelligibility concerns the clarity and coherence of spoken or written material. Materials with high intelligibility are easier to learn from and more effective in conveying ideas. Pedagogical and editorial practices often aim to improve intelligibility by simplifying structure, defining terms, and avoiding ambiguity.

In philosophy and theory, intelligibility is a criterion for whether a concept, model, or natural phenomenon can be understood through reason. It appears in discussions about the limits of explanation, the structure of theories, and the accessibility of knowledge.

In technology and policy, intelligibility is closely related to interpretability and explainability of models, particularly in AI, regulatory science, and risk communication. Efforts to improve intelligibility emphasize transparency, clear wording, and the ability to justify conclusions to non-expert audiences.

See also: intelligibility in linguistics, readability, explainability.