You’ll notice you don’t you see the term “plain English” in our website (other than on this page, of course). That’s because we think it is an over-used phrase with very vague goal posts. How do you know if you have created content that is “plain English”? What is the criteria that will tell you it is plain English? How do you measure it?

Communicating with each other is a messy business. Even in conversation, where we have the ability to clarify, ask questions and rephrase something, we find miscommunication a common problem. It’s no different when we are writing – whether it is for the web or for a paper-based medium. Communication is messy. Some content, regardless of how well written it is, might not be understood or interpreted in the same way by everyone who reads it.

Many people espouse plain English but there is no scientific measurement for plain English.