Inclusive, clear language
Making technical content easier for users
Write in plain English to make your guidance easy to understand. Use the terms your users recognise.
If there’s a proven need to use a technical or legal term, explain it the first time it appears.
For example: You can only burn authorised fuel unless you use a Defra-approved appliance, known as an ‘exempt appliance’.
Keep technical words in short, active sentences to make the text easier to read.
Read GDS's advice on writing well for specialists.
Experts prefer clear language
Even technical experts prefer content in plain English. Research into the use of specialist legal language has shown that when given a choice, 80% of people prefer sentences written in plain English. The more literate and expert a person is, the greater their preference for plain English because it saves them reading time.
Users are more likely to believe your content if it explains complex material in a way that’s easy to understand – and this includes experts.
Read these articles about experts’ preference for clear and inclusive language:
- Clarity is king (GDS blog)
- Plain Language Is for Everyone, Even Experts (Nielsen Norman Group)
- The Public speaks: an empirical study of legal communication (SSRN, 20 May 2012)
- Thoughts on the 'dumbing down' content argument (Content Design London)
- Inclusive language: words to use and avoid when writing about disability (Disability Unit and Cabinet Office)