Lukukelvottomia

Lukukelvottomia is a Finnish adjective meaning “not readable” or “illegible,” used to describe texts, fonts, or layouts that cannot be read easily by a typical reader. The form lukukelvottomia is the plural partitive used when referring to multiple unreadable items.

In practice, the term covers both physical and cognitive aspects of readability. Physical illegibility can arise from factors such as small font size, poor contrast, cramped line length, dense typography, or improper spacing. Cognitive unreadability refers to texts that are overly complex, filled with jargon, long sentences, or unfamiliar language, making them hard to understand even if technically legible. The concept is often discussed in relation to luettavuus (readability) and accessibility.

In publishing and design, lukukelvottomia texts are a point of critique and a target for improvement through better typography, layout, and copyediting. In digital contexts, the term is relevant to accessibility discussions, where avoiding lukukelvottomia experiences aligns with efforts to meet readability and inclusive design guidelines, such as providing clear structure, plain language, and adequate contrast for diverse readers, including those with reading difficulties or visual impairments.

Etymology and usage: the word is formed from lukukelpoinen (readable) with the negative suffix -ton, yielding lukukelvoton, and the plural lukukelvottomia when referring to several unreadable items. It is used mainly in Finnish discourse on text quality and accessibility.

See also: luettavuus (readability), lukutaito (literacy), saavutettavuus (accessibility), typografia, typographic design.