Jargon has a bad reputation, but not all jargon is bad. Specialised terminology allows experts to communicate precisely and efficiently. The problem arises when jargon leaks into writing meant for a general audience. When that happens, the reader pays the price in confusion, frustration, and wasted time.
Plain language is not about dumbing down your writing. It is about making your writing accessible to the widest possible audience without sacrificing accuracy or nuance. This article explores what plain language really means, where it matters most, and how you can apply it to your own writing.
What Plain Language Is (and Isn’t)
Plain language is a way of writing that puts the reader first. The Plain Language Association International defines it as “communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.”
What Plain Language Is
- Logical organisation with clear headings and sections.
- Short, straightforward sentences.
- Everyday words instead of technical terms when the audience is non-specialist.
- Active voice most of the time.
- Definitions for any technical terms you must use.
What Plain Language Is Not
- It is not “dumbing down.” Plain language can convey complex ideas clearly.
- It is not wordy. Plain language often uses fewer words than traditional bureaucratic writing.
- It is not inflexible. Technical writing for specialists can and should use technical terms.
- It is not boring. Clear writing has rhythm, personality, and impact.
Legal and Medical Plain Language Examples
No two fields benefit more from plain language than law and medicine, where complex language can have serious consequences for people who do not understand their rights or treatment options.
Legal Writing
| Original (Legalese) | Plain Language Version |
|---|---|
| The aforementioned party shall indemnify and hold harmless the second party from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, losses, damages, costs, and expenses. | You agree to protect the other party from any legal claims or costs related to this agreement. |
| Upon the effective date of termination, the licensee shall immediately cease all use of the licensed materials and return or destroy all copies thereof. | When this agreement ends, you must stop using the materials and either return them or destroy them. |
Notice that the plain language versions are shorter, clearer, and use active voice. They convey the same legal obligations without requiring a law degree to understand them.
Medical Writing
| Original (Medical Jargon) | Plain Language Version |
|---|---|
| The patient presents with acute onset of dyspnoea and tachypnoea, with auscultation revealing bilateral rales. | The patient suddenly had trouble breathing and rapid breathing, and a lung exam showed crackling sounds on both sides. |
| Administer 500 mg of acetaminophen orally every six hours as needed for pyrexia. | Take one 500 mg tablet of acetaminophen (Tylenol) by mouth every six hours if you have a fever. |
When patients understand their medical instructions, they are more likely to follow them correctly. Studies have shown that plain language in healthcare communication improves patient outcomes and reduces hospital readmissions.
Before/After Government Document Sample
Government writing is notorious for dense, passive, bureaucratic language. Here is a real example of how plain language transforms a government notice.
Before (Original):
Pursuant to the provisions of Section 4(a) of the Administrative Procedures Act, notice is hereby given that the Department of Environmental Regulation is proposing to amend Rule 62-302.500, Florida Administrative Code, concerning surface water quality standards. Interested parties may submit written comments, data, or views pertaining to the proposed rule amendment within twenty-one (21) days of the publication date of this notice. All submissions shall be directed to the Office of General Counsel at the address indicated below.
After (Plain Language):
The Department of Environmental Regulation wants to update Rule 62-302.500 about water quality standards. You can share your opinion on this change. Send your written comments to the Office of General Counsel within 21 days of this notice’s publication date. Our address is below.
The plain language version is less than half the length. It replaces “pursuant to the provisions of” with “wants to,” replaces passive construction with active, and tells the reader exactly what to do without legal padding.
Research on Comprehension Improvements
The benefits of plain language are not just intuitive. They are backed by decades of research.
| Study | Finding |
|---|---|
| U.S. Navy (1980s) | Rewriting technical manuals in plain language reduced training time by 25% and error rates by 40%. |
| Australian Government (2000) | Citizens who received plain language forms completed them 50% faster and made 60% fewer errors. |
| Journal of General Internal Medicine (2012) | Patients who received plain language discharge instructions had 30% fewer follow-up complications. |
| Federal Plain Language Guidelines (2014) | Agencies that adopted plain language reported a 30–40% reduction in phone calls from confused citizens. |
| Web Content Accessibility Study (2020) | Web pages written at an 8th-grade reading level were preferred by 86% of users over those written at a college level, regardless of the user’s education. |
The pattern is consistent: plain language saves time, reduces errors, and increases satisfaction for everyone — regardless of education level.
Plain Language Checklist
Use this checklist when reviewing your own writing for plain language compliance.
Structure and Organisation
- Does the document have clear headings that tell the reader what to expect?
- Is the most important information placed first?
- Are paragraphs focused on a single topic?
- Are lists used instead of complex sentence strings?
Sentence-Level Clarity
- Are sentences under 20 words on average?
- Is the active voice used most of the time?
- Are there any sentences that could be split into two?
- Does each sentence contain one main idea?
Word Choice
- Are technical terms defined or replaced with everyday words?
- Are there any unnecessary jargon words or acronyms?
- Are verbs used instead of noun phrases (“decide” instead of “make a decision”)?
- Are filler words like “actually,” “basically,” and “essentially” removed?
Reader Focus
- Does the writing address the reader directly using “you” where appropriate?
- Is the purpose of the document clear in the first paragraph?
- Does the document tell the reader what to do next?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your writing can probably benefit from plain language editing. Run your text through the CopyRefine Readability Score tool to check your Flesch Reading Ease score and see how accessible your writing really is.
The Bottom Line
Plain language is not about eliminating all specialised vocabulary. It is about knowing your audience and choosing the right words for them. When your readers understand you the first time, everyone wins. You communicate more effectively, your readers act more confidently, and the world becomes a little less confusing.