In one minute
Plain language is not “dumbing down”. It means designing information so the intended reader can find what they need, understand it and use it. Word choice matters, but structure, order, headings and context matter just as much.
Why it matters
ISO 24495-1 frames plain language around reader outcomes: relevant information should be findable, understandable and usable. That is broader than replacing long words with short ones.
A familiar technical term can be plainer for an expert than a simplified substitute. The reader and task therefore come before any vocabulary rule.
See it
Prior to commencement of the verification procedure, submission of the aforementioned documentation is required.
Send the documents before we start verification.
The second version keeps the requirement and sequence while making the actor and action visible immediately.
Try it
Pick one section and ask three questions: Can the intended reader find the point quickly? Can they understand what it means? Can they tell what to do with it? Fix the first “no” before polishing words.
When not to use it
Plain language does not mean removing necessary legal, scientific or professional precision. Nor is every literary work trying to be immediately usable. Simplification that changes the meaning is not clarity.
How SeamWriter notices it
SeamWriter can notice structural load, buried actions, generic or abstract phrasing and some sentence-level obstacles. It cannot certify ISO conformance, measure every reader’s comprehension, or decide that a specialised term should be removed when the audience needs it.
For different writers
- Writing fiction
- Use the principle selectively: exposition, instructions inside the story and factual bridges often benefit from clarity, while voice and literary texture may deliberately resist it.
- Writing professionally
- Start with the reader’s task and put the main message where a skimming reader can find it. Keep specialist terms when they are the precise shared language of the audience.
- Learning to write
- Plain does not mean childish. Say the exact thing you mean in words you understand; you can add complexity when the idea itself needs it.
Sources & basis
- ISO 24495-1:2023 Plain language — Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines — International Organization for Standardization
- Writing effective letters — GOV.UK