Plain English helps people understand information the first time they read it. This resource center explains the principles, shows realistic replacements, and connects each problem to the right workflow. Start with the Plain English Checker, then validate overall difficulty in Readability Checker.
Begin by identifying the decision the sentence controls. Keep names, dates, thresholds, exceptions, and defined terms that affect that decision. Replace indirect connectors and noun-heavy phrases, then make the actor and action explicit. For legal or policy content, compare the revision line by line and require subject-matter review before publication.
Review the legal-text workflowPolicies: make eligibility, deadlines, and exceptions visible without weakening the rule.
Help content: describe one observable action and expected result per step.
Customer messages: state what happened, what is required, and what happens next.
Plain English means clear wording, explicit ownership, and practical sequence. It is not casual writing. It keeps precision while removing language that forces readers to decode intent.
| Plain English | Readability |
|---|---|
| Removes jargon, legalistic phrases, and vague wording. | Measures sentence load and text difficulty ranges. |
| Best for policy, legal, support, and customer communication. | Best for benchmarking page-level clarity over time. |
Avoid: commence implementation
Use: start implementation
Avoid: in accordance with policy
Use: under this policy
Avoid: facilitate completion
Use: complete
Avoid: subsequent to authorization
Use: after approval
Avoid: for the purpose of
Use: to
legal clause
Before: The undersigned party shall undertake completion of remediative action subsequent to notice.
After: After notice, the party must complete corrective action.
policy paragraph
Before: In the event of non-compliance, sanctions may be imposed unless an exception has been approved in writing.
After: If someone does not comply, sanctions apply unless a written exception is approved.
enterprise email
Before: Stakeholders are hereby advised that commencement of migration is contingent upon prior authorization.
After: Stakeholders can start migration only after approval.
help-center text
Before: Completion of credential verification is required prior to initiation of account recovery procedures.
After: Verify credentials before starting account recovery.
onboarding UI text
Before: Utilize this function to facilitate configuration optimization.
After: Use this feature to improve setup.
Use plain-language editing to keep obligations explicit while reducing interpretive friction. Continue in legal text simplification for practical workflow examples.
Replace formal language with direct action wording in support and onboarding pages. Use text simplifier and reading level converter for follow-up optimization.
Plain English is direct wording that helps readers understand and act without unnecessary decoding.
No. Readability measures difficulty, while plain English focuses on clear phrasing and jargon cleanup.
Yes. Keep required terms and simplify surrounding language and structure.
Use plain English where possible, then verify enforceable meaning with legal review.
Yes. Clear language reduces hesitation and improves progression to next steps.
Compare names, numbers, conditions, and required actions with the source before approving the clearer version.
Start with Plain English Checker for jargon and indirect phrasing, then use Text Simplifier if sentence structure remains dense.