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.

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:

Fry Graph: Any age group

Raygor Estimate Graph: Third grade and above

New Dale-Chall Readability: Fourth grade and below

Powers-Sumner-Kearl Readability Formula: Fourth grade and below

Combination Test: Any age group

Microsoft Word Readability Statistics: Any age group

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

Law school professor Joseph Kimble has two helpful lists of "inflated words," along with their "plain" counterparts:

Kimble's Plain Words

Kimble's Plain Words (Part 2): Compound Propositions and Wordy Phrases

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.

Grammarly 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.

References

Dyslexia Friendly Style Guide. British Dyslexia Association.

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.

Plain Words (Part 1). Joseph Kimble, Michigan Bar Journal, 2001.

Plain Words (Part 2). Joseph Kimble, Michigan Bar Journal, 2001.

This Surprising Reading Level Analysis Will Change the Way You Write. Shane Snow, The Content Strategist, 2015.

Wrong—Again—About Plain Language. Joseph Kimble, Michigan Bar Journal, 2013.