As the importance of well written digital content continues to grow, Jennifer Gunthardt discusses what gets in the way when we write, and what tools from the plain English toolkit we can use to make the process easier.

1. PLAIN ENGLISH FOR THE WEB

2. ‘We guarantee that applicants who choose X University
as a "firm choice" will be offered a room within one of
their hall choices (but you must select a minimum of 5
hall choices)*. This guarantee requires you to apply for
accommodation by the advertised deadline, and you
must also hold an Unconditional Offer as processed by
the Admissions office prior to the Accommodation
Bureau allocating rooms.’

4. The curse of knowledge.
It’s difficult to forget what
you already know.

6. You may know your subject
inside out. But don’t assume
your reader is going to be
familiar with the same
technical terms.

7. Uncommon words slow
readers down and
erode trust.

8. The more educated the
person, the greater their
preference for plain English.
Source: Trudeau and Cooley 2012.

9. SCANNERS NOT READERS

10. We scan and sift vast
amounts of information
daily.

11. On average a visitor will
read only 28% of the words
on a page.

12. Everyday vocabulary makes
scanning easier, and…

13. …using the language of
everyday speech sounds
friendlier and more direct.

14. So, keep your writing as close
to speech as possible.

15. Avoid jargon.

16. Use everyday words,
simple sentences, and
direct language.

17. Freewriting is an effective
technique for developing a
natural approach to your
writing.

18. Simplify your message.
Help users by getting rid of
unnecessary details.

19. Cut big.
Take out the weakest
paragraphs, to give greater
emphasis to the strongest.

21. Cut small.
If it’s possible to cut out a
sentence or a word, cut it out.

23. Check for readability. Read
your copy out loud. Does it
flow? Does it sound natural?
hemingwayapp.com

24. 1. Write as you speak.
2. Keep it simple. Shorter is
better.
3. Check for readability.

25. Thanks for your time.
Jennifer Gunthardt helps teams and individuals develop
their services by providing advice on content planning, and
writing for the Web. Follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn for
more tips, tools and hacks.
jgunthardt@brookes.ac.uk
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jennifergunthardt
@jengunthardt