Plain English, sometimes referred to as plain language, is a way of writing clearly and simply to convey information. It is especially important for websites, whether they are government or business. It is necessary because not everyone reading your writing has English as their first language, and if you are explaining something complicated, it helps everyone to understand.
The Government of Canada Communications Community Office describes plain language as follows:
According to the International Plain Language Federation, “Communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.”
The purpose of a plain-language approach in written communications is to convey information that the audience needs to know in a way that they can easily understand. It should not be confused with an oversimplified, condescending style.
The guidance for writing in plain language is fairly simple. Some of it is just good grammar.
- Avoid excessive formality
- Avoid passive voice
- Avoid jargon and culture-specific figures of speech
- Expand acronyms (e.g. CBC – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation or Chennai Bicycle Club? That depends on the context)
- Avoid using unfamiliar terms without any explanation
- Write numerals as numbers
- Explain procedures step-by-step
- Separate dependent sub-clauses with a comma
- Avoid using more than one sub-clause
- Avoid over-long sentences
- Avoid run-on sentences (these are ungrammatical anyway)
- Use nouns and verbs correctly (verbs: set up, log in; nouns: setup, login)
- Capitalize proper nouns correctly
- Avoid common errors
Communications should be accessible, inclusive, anti-racist, and advance reconciliation.
If you have ever tried to wade through a document written in obfuscated language, with a lot of sub-clauses and use of passive voice, you will likely recognize the importance of plain language.
Spruce up your site
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Further reading
- Plain English – UI snippets (includes examples to illustrate the rules listed in this blogpost)
- Training – Carnelian Web Services
- Plain language, accessibility, and inclusive communications, by the Government of Canada Communications Community Office
- The International Plain Language Federation
- The Plain English Campaign
- Improve Text Readability with Plain Language Writing, by Kiana Minkie
Plain language tools
Tools to help you with writing in plain language.
- LanguageTool is an open-source alternative to Grammarly.
- The Flesch Kincaid Calculator assesses the reading level of your prose.
- There are many WordPress plugins for improving readability.
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