> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://toolkit.makeagrid.com/grid-toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://toolkit.makeagrid.com/grid-toolkit/writing-for-your-audience/choose-simple-language.md).

# Choose simple language

Whenever possible, avoid jargon or complicated vocabulary.

## Seek clarity, not complexity

We are often conditioned to think that information that is more complex is better--but it just makes your information harder to read. Nobel Prize Laureate and writer of *Pygmalion***,** George Bernard Shaw, once said:

> #### *‘‘In literature, the ambition of a novice is to acquire the literary language; the struggle of the adept is to get rid of it.’’*

![You want to say: Contemplate the source of the informant when one desires to evaluate the validity of a statement. Instead, try: Look at the source of information to help determine if it is true.](https://103705141-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MZnkVRfYQUrftMBZtrD%2F-M_CP_w7v7t-jlxfgy45%2F-M_CQT3dZMeNfm7oDs_X%2FCopy%20of%20Add%20a%20little%20bit%20of%20body%20text.png?alt=media\&token=07868d59-a53d-4cc8-8222-862f3e645be4)

## **Consider writing level**

Write for your audience, whoever they are. The average American is only able to read at a 7th- to 8th-grade level, but that does not necessarily mean everything should be written for an 8th grader. The most shareable content is easy to read and novel--so keep it as simple as you can while still serving your audience.

*💡 GRIDBit: Sometimes text seems more complex just because of length. War and Peace, a generally regarded difficult read, ranks just above an 8th-grade level.*

Some tools to consider based on your target audience reading level include:

{% hint style="info" %}
[**Fry Graph**](https://readabilityformulas.com/free-fry-graph-test.php)**:** Any age group

[**Raygor Estimate Graph**](https://readabilityformulas.com/free-fry-graph-test.php)**:** Third grade and above

[**New Dale-Chall Readability**](https://readabilityformulas.com/free-dale-chall-test.php)**:** Fourth grade and below

[**Powers-Sumner-Kearl Readability Formula**](https://readabilityformulas.com/free-powers-sumner-kearl-test.php)**:** Fourth grade and below

[**Combination Test**](https://datayze.com/readability-analyzer)**:** Any age group
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
[**Microsoft Word Readability Statistics**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210425102915/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/get-your-document-s-readability-and-level-statistics-85b4969e-e80a-4777-8dd3-f7fc3c8b3fd2)**:** Any age group
{% endhint %}

*Note: There are significantly more readability tests than the ones listed here.*

{% hint style="info" %}
Law school professor Joseph Kimble has two helpful lists of "inflated words," along with their "plain" counterparts:

[**Kimble's Plain Words**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210120203206/http:/www.michbar.org/file/barjournal/article/documents/pdf4article315.pdf)

[**Kimble's Plain Words (Part 2): Compound Propositions and Wordy Phrases**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210424110025/https:/www.michbar.org/file/generalinfo/plainenglish/pdfs/01_sept.pdf)
{% endhint %}

## *Remember grammar*

It is easy to forget best practices when one is not regularly being evaluated. Refresh yourself on basic grammar, or have a colleague or friend proofread for you. 

{% hint style="info" %}
[**Grammarly** ](https://app.grammarly.com/)is a great, free (with paid option) browser extension and web app that can help keep your grammar on track. It is not perfect, but can really help.
{% endhint %}

## *References*

[**Dyslexia Friendly Style Guide. British Dyslexia Association.**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210428020322/https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/employers/creating-a-dyslexia-friendly-workplace/dyslexia-friendly-style-guide)

[**Literacy, Numeracy, and Problem Solving in Technology-Rich Environments Among U.S. Adults: Results from the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies 2012. Madeline Goodman, Robert Finnegan, Leyla Mohadjer, Tom Krenzke, and Jacquie Hogan, 2013.**](file:///C:/Users/jmramos/Desktop/Madeline%20Goodman%20\(ETS\),%20Robert%20Finnegan%20\(ETS\),%20Leyla%20Mohadjer%20\(Westat\),%20Tom%20Krenzke%20\(Westat\),%20Jacquie%20Hogan%20\(Westat\))

[**Plain Words (Part 1). Joseph Kimble, Michigan Bar Journal, 2001.**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210120203206/http:/www.michbar.org/file/barjournal/article/documents/pdf4article315.pdf)

[**Plain Words (Part 2). Joseph Kimble, Michigan Bar Journal, 2001.**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210424110025/https:/www.michbar.org/file/generalinfo/plainenglish/pdfs/01_sept.pdf)

[**This Surprising Reading Level Analysis Will Change the Way You Write. Shane Snow, The Content Strategist, 2015.**](https://web.archive.org/web/20210507045704/https:/contently.com/2015/01/28/this-surprising-reading-level-analysis-will-change-the-way-you-write/)

[**Wrong—Again—About Plain Language. Joseph Kimble, Michigan Bar Journal, 2013.**](https://www.michbar.org/file/barjournal/article/documents/pdf4article2233.pdf)