plainlanguage.gov

Plain language (also called plain writing or plain English) is communication that an audience can understand the first time they read or hear it. According to the Plain Writing Act of 2010, it is writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows best practices appropriate to the subject, field, and intended audience.

To determine if material is in plain language, evaluate if your audience can:

• Find what they need
• Understand what they find the first time they read or hear it
• Use what they find to meet their needs

Common techniques for achieving plain language include:

• Reader-centered organization
• Using "You" and other pronouns
• Using active voice instead of passive voice
• Using short sentences and paragraphs
• Using common, everyday words
• Using easy-to-follow design features like lists, headers, and tables.

When organizing regulatory documents, use the following principles to improve readability and structure:

• Well organized: Meet the reader's needs by providing an overview of requirements or processes first, followed by details. For processes, provide outlines in a list or table before diving into separate sections.
• Short sections: Aim for approximately five or six sections per page of text.
• Minimizes subdivisions: Avoid nesting sections deeper than the (A) level unless using a table.
• Uses lists: Use lists instead of dense text to present information whenever possible.
• Uses tables: Present complex information in table format wherever possible.

To reveal a document's organization and help users scan content, use three distinct types of headings. Choosing the right type depends on your audience's needs and the level of specificity required.

1. Question headings: Best for users looking for specific answers. They facilitate a question-and-answer format that helps users find information quickly.

   • Example: Why do we use headings?

2. Statement headings: Highly specific and effective alternatives to questions.

   • Example: Add useful headings

3. Topic headings: The most formal type, but prone to being too vague. Avoid generic terms like "General," "Application," or "Scope," as they can be ambiguous.

   • Example: Headings

The 'Procedural Matters' section should include standard administrative disclosures. Based on the model example, this includes:

• Regulatory Planning and Review: Disclose whether the rule is a significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866 and if it requires OMB review.
• Clarity of Regulations: An invitation for public feedback on the readability and format of the rule.
• Authors: A list of the principal authors and the offices they represent.
• List of Subjects: A categorized list of keywords/subjects associated with the specific CFR parts being affected.

Apply these linguistic principles to improve the clarity of your text:

• Short sentences: Ensure no sentence exceeds 40 words.
• Sentences start with main idea: Place exceptions or qualifications at the end of the sentence or in a subsequent sentence.
• Active voice: Clearly state who is performing an action; avoid passive voice.
• Uses "must" for requirements: Use the word must for requirements and avoid using the word shall.
• Clear language: Avoid jargon and legalese.
• Uses pronouns: Address the reader as you and the agency as we to increase impact and clarity.

Written communications represent the "voice of the brand" for an organization. To ensure brand consistency, organizations should treat their written voice with the same importance as their visual identity, customer service, and physical office environment.

To maintain a strong brand voice, measure documents against the following organizational pillars:

• Brand values
• Brand promise
• Mission
• Vision

Failure to align written style with these values often results in communications that feel formal, impersonal, awkward, defensive, or insincere, creating a disconnect between the intended brand perception and the actual user experience.

A definition should strictly define a term. It must not contain regulatory requirements, substantive rules, or additional considerations. Including such material in a definition section is a violation of best practices and, for regulations, a requirement of the Office of the Federal Register.

Incorrect Pattern: Including a long passage that defines a term but then proceeds to list factors to be considered, technologies to be used, or legal authorities.

Correct Pattern: Extract the core meaning into the definition and move all other requirements, considerations, and substantive rules into the main body of the document.

Effective communication requires selecting a 'voice' that is intentionally influenced by two factors:

1. Audience: Whom you are talking to (e.g., a pet, a boss, a client, or a retail consumer).
2. Purpose: Why you are communicating (e.g., a social conversation vs. a formal performance review).

Avoid relying on a default 'work-voice'—which tends to be heavy, formal, traditional, and impersonal—when the context requires a different tone. Writing professionally does not require being 'formal' or 'traditional'; professional writing can be warm, human, clear, and friendly.

For organizations where the 'voice of the brand' is vital (such as law firms, financial services, government bodies, and medical providers), communication documents serve as a 'moment of truth.'

To ensure brand enhancement rather than brand damage, documents must be aligned with the organization's stated values. If a brand claims to be helpful or accessible but produces complex, inaccessible documentation, the brand is damaged. Alignment is achieved when the document's ease of use matches the brand's promises.