Plain Language Design

Plain Language Design

Write and evaluate content so that people with cognitive disabilities, low literacy, non-native language skills, or high stress can understand it on the first read.

Plain language is not dumbed-down language. It is clear language. It respects the reader's time and cognitive resources.

The Tests

5-Second Test

Can someone read this sentence and understand it in 5 seconds? If not, rewrite.

Jargon Test

Would someone outside your industry understand every word? If not, replace the word or define it inline.

Action Test

For any instruction or button: is the next step completely unambiguous? "Save and continue" beats "Next". "Delete this item" beats "Remove".

Passive Voice Test

Passive voice hides who does what. "Your application has been rejected" → "We could not approve your application. Here's what to do next."

Sentence Length Test

• Aim for 15–20 words per sentence maximum
• One idea per sentence
• One instruction per paragraph

Common Replacements

Readability Benchmarks

• General public: grade 6–8 reading level
• Specialist audience: define terms, short sentences
• Critical content (medical, legal, financial): plain language summary

alongside the full text

• Buttons, labels, error messages: grade 4–6 always

How to Review

1. Read every piece of text aloud — stumbles reveal complexity 2. Check sentence length (count words — flag any over 25) 3. Identify jargon, acronyms, and idioms 4. Verify every instruction has a clear, single action 5. Check that error messages say: what happened + why + what to do

Output Format

When reviewing: present a table of flagged text with the original, the issue, and a rewritten version. When writing: produce plain language content with a note on the target reading level achieved.