Plain language: using appropriate words

Familiar words | Useless words | Redundancy | Jargon | Technical words | Noun phrases | Abbreviations | Inclusiveness

Strive to be human in your writing. A formal, bureaucratic tone too often creates distance between you (and King County) and your readers.

Plain-language writing uses the clearest words possible to describe actions, objects and people. That often means choosing a two-syllable word over a three-syllable one, an old familiar term instead of the latest bureaucratic expression and sometimes, several clearer words instead of one complicated word.

Use words your readers are likely to understand. Base your choice of words on what will be clearer for your reader. To help you draft easy-to-understand documents, below are some guidelines on your choice of words. Also see the Guide to concise writing for concise alternatives to overstated, pompous words; wordy, bureaucratic phrases; and redundant phrases.

• Instead of:
  Subsequent to the passage of the subject ordinance, it is incumbent upon you to advise your department to comply with it.
• Use:
  After the law passes, you must tell your staff to follow it.

Use simple, everyday, familiar words

Here are a few examples of simple, precise words and phrases you might substitute:

For more shorter, simpler alternatives to overstated, bureaucratic and pompous words.

Cut out unnecessary, useless words

Use only as many words as you need. Here is a sample list of some alternative words for common, wordy expressions:

For more simpler, concise alternatives to wordy, bureaucratic phrases

Cut redundant ideas, words and phrases

Avoid using words with similar meanings. Drop one and see if your sentence still makes sense: protrude, not protrude out; either if or when, not if and when; result, not end result; square, not square in shape; experience, not past experience; demolished, not totally demolished.

Later, go through your document and ask yourself if you're repeating information needlessly. If so, combine your thoughts or remove the matching ideas.

Here is a sample list of alternative words for some redundant phrases:

For more concise replacements for redundant phrases.

Avoid using jargon

Using unfamiliar jargon and bureaucratese can cause problems because your reader may not understand it. Jargon also can distract your reader from your real message. Write boots, not leather personnel carriers; telephone, not telephonic communications instrument; advocate for the homeless, not homeless advocate. Also be wary of trendy, fashionable expressions such as level playing field, downtime and touch base. Their trendiness will also mean they will soon date your writing.

• Instead of:
  All illumination on these premises must be extinguished upon departure.
• Use:
  Please turn out the lights if you're the last to leave.

Avoid or explain technical words

Whenever possible, avoid words that your readers do not know. Every occupation and interest group has special terms. If you must use a technical term, define it--either by giving a definition or by giving an example.

Don't change verbs into nouns

Nouns created from verbs are harder for the reader to understand and give the sentence an impersonal tone: decide, not make a decision; agree, not reach an agreement; decide (or find or work out or discover), not make a determination; finish (or end or close), not bring to a conclusion.

When you write a noun that comes from a verb, see if you can turn it back into a verb by removing endings like -tion, -ence and -ment. Use the clearest, crispest, liveliest verb to express your thoughts.

• Instead of:
  The requirement of the department is that employees work eight hours a day.
• Use:
  The department requires employees to work eight hours a day.

• Instead of:
  The team's role is to perform problem definition and resolution.
• Use:
  The team's role is to define problems and resolve them.
• Or:
  The team's role is to define and resolve problems.

Here are other examples:

Avoid chains of nouns

Chains of nouns are strings of two or more nouns used to name one thing. They are often difficult for a reader to understand.

Noun chains take some effort to untangle. They lack connecting words--such as of, for, about, in and the possessive 's--that would clarify how the nouns relate to one another.

• Instead of:
  World population is increasing faster than world food production
• Use:
  The world's population is increasing faster than its food production.

Use acronyms and abbreviations carefully

Remember that not everyone may know what the acronyms and abbreviations stand for. Sometimes, putting an acronym or abbreviation in brackets or parentheses the first time you use the proper term can be useful. Then you can use the acronym in the rest of your text. But even if you use that technique, avoid filling a document with various obscure acronyms. Also see abbreviations and acronyms in the King County Editorial Style Manual.

Use inclusive language

Sexist writing builds a barrier between you and half your readers. Use sex-neutral terms by avoiding words that suggest maleness is the norm, superior or positive and that femaleness is nonstandard, subordinate or negative. For guidelines, see sex, sexism in the King County Editorial Style Manual.

Readers with disabilities also face barriers--in communications and facilities. For guidelines in using appropriate language, see disabled in the King County style manual. Also see the King County Office of Civil Rights Enforcement for guidelines and requirements about providing printed materials in alternate formats (DOC, internal link) for people with disabilities.

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