Choose easy and short words, not formal, long ones

Choose easy and short words, not formal, long ones.

We lose trust from people if we write ‘buzzwords’ and jargon. Often, these words are too general and vague and can lead to misinterpretation or empty, meaningless text. We can do without these words.

Write for the reading comprehension of a 9 year old. This helps your content reach the most users. It also makes your content easier to scan.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) say: "using the clearest and simplest language appropriate is highly desirable."

Examples:

"buy" not "purchase"

"help" not "assist" or "facilitate"

"get" not "receive"

There are times when your users might want to disagree. For example, the charity Scope found that their users thought "get benefits" sounds like scrounging. They preferred "receive benefits".

Always check your words with users.

Here is a list from gov.uk of words to avoid:

• agenda (unless it’s for a meeting)
• advancing
• collaborate (use working with)
• combating
• commit/pledge (we need to be more specific – we’re either doing something or we’re not)
• countering
• deliver (pizzas, post and services are delivered – not abstract concepts like improvements or priorities)
• deploy (unless it’s military or software)
• dialogue (we speak to people)
• disincentivise (and incentivise)
• empower
• facilitate (instead, say something specific about how you’re helping)
• focusing
• foster (unless it’s children)
• impact (do not use this as a synonym for have an effect on, or influence)
• initiate
• key (unless it unlocks something. A subject/thing is not key – it’s probably important)
• land (as a verb only use if you’re talking about aircraft)
• leverage (unless in the financial sense)
• liaise
• overarching
• progress (as a verb – what are you actually doing?)
• promote (unless you’re talking about an ad campaign or some other marketing promotion)
• robust
• slimming down (processes do not diet)
• streamline
• strengthening (unless it’s strengthening bridges or other structures)
• tackling (unless it’s rugby, football or some other sport)
• transforming (what are you actually doing to change it?)
• utilise (use "use")

With all of these words you can generally get rid of them by breaking the term into what you’re actually doing. Be open and specific.

Write conversationally – picture your audience and write as if you were talking to them one-to-one but with the authority of someone who can actively help.

Buzzwords

Often, these words are too general and vague and can lead to misinterpretation or empty, meaningless text. Avoid them. Instead, think about what the term actually means and describe that. Be open and specific.

Example:
"Let's touch base in 10 and do some blue sky thinking." This uses jargon.
"Let's meet in 10 minutes to think of some ideas." Conveys same meaning using clear language.

I'm delighted that I haven't been able to find any examples from the Local Offers I have looked at. If you find some, let me know in the discussion.

📝Can you find examples of these kinds of words in your Local Offer? Share some examples in the discussion and show how you changed them.