Indices : Concepts : Readability

"Legibility" is based on the ease with which one letter can be told from the other. "Readability" is the ease with which the eye can absorb the message and move along the line.

--from ‘Types of Typefaces,’ by J. Ben Lieberman, 1967

Whether this distinction reflects an underlying difference in reality is controversial. For some of the controversy see:

Discussion:
What Makes an Italic Easy to Read?
Do Ligatures Improve Readability?
Readability/Readerability
Reading Research: What Is Needed?
Large x-heights = More Readable?
Readability

Related Concepts:
Legibility
Readerability