Domain Brandability Scoring Guide: Linguistic & Market Factors
Quantitative and qualitative factors to score brandability for domain acquisition and portfolio management.
By Brand Science•8/6/2025•1 min read
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Domain Brandability Scoring Guide: Linguistic & Market Factors
Brandability is multi-dimensional—blend lexical, phonetic, and market signals.
Core Factors (0–10 Scale)
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Length | Optimal 5–10 chars sweet spot |
| Pronounceability | Smooth phoneme flow |
| Memorability | Distinct w/o confusion |
| Spelling Simplicity | Single obvious spelling |
| Positive Connotation | Avoid negative homonyms |
| Category Fit | Aligns with intended vertical |
| Expansion Potential | Supports adjacent pivots |
Derived Metrics
- Vowel-Consonant Balance (avoid extreme clusters)
- Collision Check (Levenshtein distance to top sites)
- Phonetic Hash Uniqueness (e.g., Double Metaphone)
Sample Scoring Pseudocode
score = lenScore*1.2 + pronounce*1.5 + memory*1.4 + spelling*1.0 + connotation*1.1 + category*0.9 + expansion*0.9
Adjust weights to strategy.
Qualitative Overlays
| Signal | Impact |
|---|---|
| Emerging trend alignment | Upside |
| Overly narrow niche term | Downside |
| Trademark adjacency | High risk penalty |
Portfolio Use Cases
- Acquisition triage
- Renewal pruning decisions
- Price tiering for outbound
Need an implementation with phonetic libraries? Ask and we’ll code it.