Plain English

If it’s not plain English, it’s plain wrong.

Plain English is a way of writing and presenting information so a reader can understand and act on it after a single reading. Readers prefer plain English, regardless of their level of education or reading ability.

What it means

  • writing accurately and clearly for the intended reader
  • avoiding jargon where possible or explaining it at first mention where necessary (and it’s rarely necessary)

How it helps

  • it gives everyone a fair chance to access essential services
  • people trust your organisation more when plain English is used
  • it can help everyone save time and money
  • it is increasingly a legal requirement

The real-world value of plain English is easy to explain. Plain.ie worked extensively with a government department on creating a plain English version of a service that they offered to their users.

Watch it work

Plain.ie reduced the ‘reading age’ of the piece of content from 22.9 (meaning the user would need a college level of education to understand it at first reading) to 14.2 (meaning the user could understand it at first reading after 1 year in secondary school).

The end result? A 40% reduction in calls to their helpline.

Think about what your staff could do if they were spending 40% less time on the phone explaining your services to the public.

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